The One That Touched My Heart
by Lilac Proudmoore
Summary: [COMPLETE] Cho remembers all the feelings that she felt when she was with Cedric. He was everything to her. She didn't know that he was going to leave. She didn't even get to say goodbye. Looking back, she began to understand why she fell in love with him
1. I'll Always Remember

Disclaimer: Okay, you guys know that I don't own any of this! If I did, I'd be mega rich but that's all J.K. Rowling's work! It's J.K Rowling's world - we just live in it! (I know I used parts from the book but I still don't own it!!!)  
            Author's Note: Okay, this is my first Harry Potter fan fiction! So please don't get mad at me if you don't like it! Erm, I decided to do a Cedric/Cho one because Cedric is someone that isn't really in fanfics but I decided that he should be in one so I made one!  
                                                          *

I didn't want to remember anything, how he was, how we were, but it all kept coming back to me when I'd think about Hogwarts. How could he die? Why? Why did He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named have to kill Cedric? I thought of Harry, I knew how he felt about me but every time I would get close, my heart told me to stop and remember Cedric…

"Remember Cedric Diggory," were Dumbledore's words those years ago. I remember…I had cried and I saw Harry steal a glance at me.

"The end," said Dumbledore, looking around at us all, in my fifth year, "of another year."

He paused and his eyes fell upon the students at the Hufflepuff table. Their table had been silent before Dumbledore had gotten to his feet, and theirs were still the saddest and palest faces in the Hall.

"There is much that I would like to say to you all tonight," he said, "but I must first acknowledge the loss of a very fine person, who would be sitting here," he gestured toward the Hufflepuffs, "enjoying our feast with us. I would like you all, please, to stand, and raise your goblets, to Cedric Diggory."

The instant he said the name was the instant that I couldn't keep the tears to myself. I cried silently as we raised our goblets, and echoed, in one loud, low, rumbling voice, "Cedric Diggory." We then all sat down.

"Cedric was a person who exemplified many of the qualities that distinguish Hufflepuff house," Dumbledore continued. "He was a good and loyal friend, a hard worker, he valued fair play. His death has affected you all, whether you knew him well or not. I think that you have a right, therefore, to know exactly how it came about.

"Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort."

I jerked my head up and looked at the headmaster. I wiped tears away from my face as I shook my head, not wanting to believe any of it. Dumbledore looked calm as he watched us mutter ourselves into silence.

"The Ministry of Magic," Dumbledore continued, "does not wish me to tell you this. It is possible that some of your parents will be horrified that I have done so - either because they will not believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, or because they think I should not tell you so, young as you are. It is my belief, however, that the truth is generally preferable to lies, and that any attempt to pretend that Cedric died as the result of an accident, or some sort of blunder of his own, is an insult to his memory."

We were stunned and frightened; every face in the Hall was turned toward Dumbledore now.

"There is somebody else who must be mentioned in connection with Cedric's death," he went on. "I am talking, of course, about Harry Potter."

I turned my head, along with some others, to Harry's direction before turning back to Dumbledore. I could see that Harry looked a bit shaken, as if he wished that he shouldn't have been mentioned.

"Harry Potter managed to escape Lord Voldemort," said Dumbledore. "He risked his own life to return Cedric's body to Hogwarts. He showed, in every respect, the sort of bravery that few wizards have ever shown in facing Lord Voldemort, and for this, I honor him."

He turned to Harry and raised his goblet. Nearly everyone in the Great Hall followed him. I raised my goblet to him with shaken hands. When everyone had once again resumed his or her seats, Dumbledore went on.

"The Triwizard Tournament's aim was to further and promote magical understanding. In the light of what has happened - of Lord Voldemort's return - such ties are more important than ever before."

Dumbledore looked from Madame Maxime, to Hagrid, to Fleur Delacour and her fellow Beauxbatons students, to Viktor Krum and the Durmstrangs at the Slytherin table.

"Every guest in this Hall," said Dumbledore, his eyes lingering at the Durmstrang students, "will be welcomed back here at any time, should they wish to come. I say to you all, once again - in the light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts open.

"It is my belief - and never have I so hoped that I am mistaken - that we are all facing dark and difficult times. Some of you in this Hall have already suffered directly at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Many of your families have been tortured asunder. A week ago, a student was taken from our midst.

"Remember Cedric Diggory. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory."

During the summer after my fifth year he was all I thought about. I didn't want to think about Cedric but it seemed that everything I saw…I saw him. I had wished him good luck at the last task and I remember that he kissed me once before going. I thought about Quidditch and I remember him flying on his broom, following behind me, and even when Hufflepuff did win the match he would congratulate me and tell me that I did a good job. I smiled at him and thanked him, and he would always smile back. I remember his smile. He would never get irritated at his other teammates, classmates, or the other kids in the other years - which was why I was always drawn to him.

I was very excited that he had asked me to the Yule Ball when the Triwizard Tournament came to Hogwarts. I can remember the day, the time, how I felt, and I'm sure I could feel what he felt that day too.


	2. The Question

I walked out of Charms class in late November with two of my friends by my side. I laughed loudly in the group as Marietta Edgecombe commented how Professor Flitwick could barely manage while standing on top of his stack of books.  
  
"Oh, Marietta, you can't help it. He is a goblin," I said.  
  
"A rather good professor, too," piped in Emily Mills.  
  
"Oh, c'mon, I was just joking. We've always liked Professor Flitwick."  
  
I nodded in agreement as I adjusted my bag over my shoulder.  
  
"Oh!" Marietta tapped my shoulder. "Look!" She pointed quickly; she almost poked me in the face.  
  
I looked to where she was pointing. It was Cedric Diggory, the Captain and Seeker from the Hufflepuff Quidditch team; he was in his sixth year. He had light brown hair that went a little above his ears. He had gray eyes and every girl thought he was handsome. I then had to admit that he was.  
  
Emily squeaked. "He's coming this way."  
  
Marietta and Emily squealed together as I shook my head.  
  
Sure enough, Cedric did come our way. We kept on walking until Marietta purposely bumped into him causing his books to fall to the floor.  
  
"Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry," said Marietta, blushing, not bothering to help him.  
  
"It's alright," he said politely, bending down to the floor to pick his books up.  
  
I bent over and decided to help him since Marietta was acting like a fool. Her hand was over her mouth and she was standing there, gaping like an idiot.  
  
"I'm sorry, Cedric, she didn't mean to. She didn't know where she was going." I heard myself say, nervousness rang in my voice.  
  
He and I stood up and I handed the books to him. He took them and smiled. "It's alright, Cho."  
  
I smiled, turning around to walk away, he took hold of my wrist and I spun around.  
  
"Can I talk to you for a few minutes?" he asked, trying not to look me in the eyes.  
  
"Sure," I replied. I motioned for Marietta and Emily to leave. They listened and left.  
  
Cedric pulled me over to the end of the corridor. "I know this may seem short notice, but are you going to the Yule Ball with anyone?"  
  
I tried not to blush but I could feel my face going hot. "No, I haven't asked anyone yet."  
  
"Would you like to go with me?" he asked. "I mean, if you want to, you don't have to, I was just wondering," he said this very fast.  
  
I smiled. "I would like to go with you, Cedric, thank you for asking."  
  
He breathed heavily as if sighing then smiled. "I suppose I'll be seeing you later then?"  
  
I nodded. "Alright. Good-bye, Cedric."  
  
"'Bye, Cho."  
  
He and I walked off in different directions. When I knew that he was gone, I did a small twirl, and walked off to the Ravenclaw Tower. I smiled to myself as I walked behind the Knight and into the common room.  
  
Marietta and Emily were seated in the small couch by the fire. They immediately jumped up and motioned me to sit down. I did so and they fired questions at me.  
  
"What did you talk about?"  
  
"What did he want?"  
  
"Did he ask you anything?"  
  
"The Yule Ball!"  
  
"Marietta, Emily, please, can you just give me a moment to calm myself?" I silenced them. I breathed deeply and smiled.  
  
"What did he ask you?" Marietta said.  
  
"He just wanted to know if I was going to the Yule Ball with anyone. . ."  
  
Emily gasped. "You aren't! Oh, my God, did he ask you? Cho, you are so lucky!"  
  
"Emily, she didn't say that he asked her," Marietta said.  
  
I blushed. "He did ask me though. . ."  
  
"Cho!" Marietta burst out. "Lucky girl!"  
  
I smiled. "I'm not lucky. He could have asked any other girl."  
  
"He asked you, Cho, not anyone else," Emily pointed out.  
  
"So?"  
  
"So?" Marietta said. "Cho, look, every girl thinks he's cute, he asked you to go the Yule Ball, he's in his seventh year! Imagine how the other girls will act when they find out!"  
  
I didn't think about that. Harry, what'll he say? "Marietta, I'm not lucky. He could have asked anyone. . .he just asked me, that doesn't make me lucky."  
  
"Oh, Emily, she doesn't understand."  
  
"I do too, you guys don't understand. You may think I'm lucky." I stood up, my bag still over my shoulder and went to the girls' dormitories. I shared the dormitory with both Marietta and Emily so it was hard to get away from the both of them even if I was here.  
  
I soon heard footsteps and the door open. It was Emily. "Do you want to go to lunch?" she asked.  
  
I shook my head. "I don't think so. I'll probably be down later."  
  
"Alright," she said, and shut the door behind her. 


	3. Just a Boy

I rolled over on my back and stared at the ceiling. _I'm not lucky_, I thought to myself. My stomach growled furiously but I didn't feel like going down to the Great Hall. Mainly, I didn't want to see Cedric because what had just happened…but my stomach told me better. _I better go ahead and eat before I decide to not eat dinner either because of this_, I thought, slowing getting up. I walked out of the girls' dormitories, down to the common room, and walked past the Knight.

I didn't bother to rush down to the Great Hall. "Cho," I began to tell myself. "You said you weren't lucky so why do you care so much? He's just a guy, I'm sure other boys wanted to ask your but he got to you first." I nodded in agreement with myself. "It's just a normal day." I sighed and walked into the Great Hall and to the Ravenclaw table, beside Marietta and Emily.

"You came!" said Emily.

"We'd thought you'd went snogging with Cedric or something," Marietta said with a small smirk.

I looked over to the Hufflepuff table and saw Cedric talking with a couple of his friends. "Not funny. I just thought that I'd come down to eat because…" I broke off; I couldn't tell them my reason.

"Because?" Marietta urged.

"You didn't want to see Cedric? Afraid he may talk to you?" questioned Emily.

I looked at her. "No."

"For goodness sake, Cho, it's okay," said Marietta."

"Besides Cedric _was_ looking for you," Emily said.

"He was? What for?" I almost dropped my fork.

Emily shrugged her shoulders. "I think he wanted to talk to you. It seems to me that he really likes you."

"Like me maybe, but not really, really like me," I said, putting some potatoes in my mouth.

"Only if you say so."

*

When the day was over with I found myself in the courtyard, sitting by the edge of the lake, thinking silently to myself. Never have I thought so hard about a guy before. One who was two years older than me for that matter! 

"I think you should stop, he's a normal Hufflepuff boy on the Quidditch team." _Ding! _"You always saw him on the Quidditch field and you never noticed him much before." _Yeah, I know…_ "I'm not going to listen to Marietta or Emily." I stood up and waked back into the castle. I didn't look up to watch where I was going; quickly I walked up to the Ravenclaw Tower, said the password and walked past the Knight. Luckily, Marietta and Emily weren't around in the common room so I decided to go my homework. I went to the girls' dormitories and found my bag on my bed where I left it. I pulled out _The Standard Book of Spells: Grade 5_, some parchment, a quill, and an inkwell. Carefully, I walked back down to the common room and created my own personal spot on the floor by the fireplace.

Halfway into the homework assignment, I heard the creaking of the Knight and knew that people had come into the common room. _Ah! Please, don't be __Marietta__! She's bugged me enough. _Fortunately, it was only Emily.

"Cho! Here you are!" she cried.

I smiled weakly. "Where is Marietta?"

"I think she is off chasing a boy…but let's hope she stays away for awhile."

I laughed. "I don't understand why she thinks I'm that lucky."

"Oh heavens, I bet she is jealous," stated Emily.

"Emily, don't say that."

"I'm guessing, I mean you know she's always talked about him."

"I doubt that," I said. "I mean I know Marietta is my friend but you'd really think that she would be jealous? Cedric and I haven't even talked since then."

She nodded. "Of course, Cho, but maybe you should be the one to talk to him first."

"Oh, no way!"

"Why not?!"

I began writing franticly on my homework. "Because, I mean, it's not that I don't want to but to be honest I'm actually a little afraid." 

"Why?! You?!"

I nodded, feeling dumb. "I've never gone out with a boy before and Cedric is the first and…well, I don't know, it's Hogwarts, Emily. You really think—" I stopped myself from saying it.

"Do I really think what?"

"You really think we could end up kissing?" I felt my cheeks turn a brilliant shade of pink.  
  


Emily giggled. "Oh, I'm sure Hogwarts can't even stop you two from doing something."


	4. Curious

Luckily, the next day was Saturday and I could get away from Marietta for a little while. I didn't want her to bother me so I went to the library – the place she wouldn't be caught dead in unless she had homework and today just wasn't her day but it was, unfortunately, for me. Marietta liked to wait to do homework on Sunday and go along with her day. Because today was Saturday, there was a trip for Hogsmeade for the third through seven years but I wasn't going.

I hurried along to breakfast, passing the kids who were counting their money for Hogsmeade and talking about what they were going to buy. My money was stashed away in my trunk up in the Ravenclaw Tower. I loved to go to Hogsmeade like everyone but today I decided not to and spend the day away. Of course, Emily thought it was because Cedric wasn't going to Hogsmeade but I told her that she had to the wrong reason. She just smirked and said, "Sure…that's what _everybody_ says."

I sat down at the corner of the Ravenclaw table, hoping to get away from the noise of everybody. Fortunately, there weren't many people at breakfast that morning so it was my time alone.

I sat there and munched quietly on my toast and eggs and reading the Daily Prophet. It was nothing much. The Daily Prophet's main headline was still about the Triwizard Tournament and how it was taking place at Hogwarts. Many other articles were by Rita Skeeter, a bogus women writing for the Daily Prophet who told nothing but a bunch of lies and everyone I know (not including the Slytherins) really despised her – at least I did. I flipped a page and as soon as I did I felt a tap on my shoulder. I bit my toast and turned around.

"Cedric," I said, swallowing my toast. It went down hard. I gulped. "Hi."

"Hello, Cho. You don't mind if I sit here do you…just for a little while? I know this isn't my table."

"Yes, of course." I closed the Daily Prophet and pushed it out of the way.

He sat down. "Are you heading to Hogsmeade this morning?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. I really wasn't planning to…but…"

"I was just curious because I wanted to know if you were going because I thought maybe we could just walk around and…talk…a bit." He stared at me with his grey eyes.

"I can go, of course…" I thought about what I had planned for the day: nothing but hanging in the library doing homework. _I suppose I could keep just for this one day. It wouldn't kill me. _"I'll go," I finally said.

"Great," Cedric said. "I would really like to sit down and talk to you for about an hour or two. It would be nice."

I smiled, nodding.

"I suppose I'll see you in a few minutes then." He stood up. "Good-bye."

"Oh, Cedric?"

"Yes?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Would it be alright if I sat with you on the way there?"

"Yes, I wouldn't mind at all."

"Alright. Bye, then."

I watched him leave. When he was finally out of the Great Hall I pushed away my half finished breakfast, grabbed the newspaper and ran out of the Great Hall. I was excited. I ran up to the Ravenclaw Tower, passed the Knight and ran up to the girls' dormitories. I threw the paper onto my bed and quickly opened my trunk. I dug quickly, throwing clean robes onto my bed until I found my stash of money. It was in a small velvet blue sack tied with a small silver ribbon. I stuffed it into my pocket. I threw my robes back into my trunk hastily, grabbed my coat, shut my trunk and ran out of the girls' dormitories and out of the Ravenclaw Tower.

Running down from the second floor I bumped into someone. "Ohminah!" I mumbled to myself. (A/N: "Ohminah" means like "Oh my gosh" in Korean. In my story, I'm making Cho Korean so I'm using just a few Korean words. I try to spell them out the best I can.) "I'm sorry." I looked up and saw that it was Harry Potter.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I didn't see you there." I felt myself going red.

"Um…it's okay, Cho," he replied.

"Sorry, Harry, but I'm in a bit of a rush so I'll see you later I suppose! Bye." I quickly ran away, the redness burning away from my face. I went into the entrance hall and saw that kids were already crowded around waiting for Professor McGonagall and some of the other professors to come and lead us onto the train that would take us to Hogsmeade. I stood at the stairs away from the crowd to see if I could spot Cedric. I frowned as I had no luck finding him.

"Cho!" I heard someone calling my name. I turned around to see that it was Emily with her younger sister Serena and I suppose some of Serena's friends. "There you are," she said. "I looked everywhere for you."

"Oh… Well, I've been around, you know," I replied.

"I wanted to talk to you at breakfast but then I saw that you were talking to Cedric" – a smirk spread across her face – "so I decided to leave you alone."

"Oh. Why are you with your sister?"

"Yeah, well, my mother wrote me a letter this morning and thought that it would be 'nice' if I showed Serena and some of her friends around Hogsmeade. It'll only take about half an hour and I'll find you afterwards – if you're not with Cedric, that is. 'Bye." She left.

"Don't mind her, Cho," Serena said to me when her sister was down the stairs. "She isn't being mean. I think she is just curious, you know."

I smiled. "I know, Serena."

Serena left with a smile and her friends followed.

I smiled to myself and walked down the rest of the stairs. I could see Professor McGonagall, Snape and Flitwick walking to the entrance hall doors. The hall was quiet instantly.

"Alright, everyone, listen up. I want this crowd to form five lines, please. One line for third years, one for fourth and so on. I'm sure that all of the third years have turned in their permission slip allowing them to go to Hogsmeade. If you have not then you need to turn around and head straight back to your common room." She paused for a moment. "I want all of you be well behaved and make sure that you have everything you need right now, no one will be going back and we won't be turning back at all. Now, if you have any problem please feel free to ask Professor Snape, Professor Flitwick or me for assistance and we will gladly help you. Now, if the seventh years would please go first. Everyone else, please, follow behind them and watch where you are going." The doors opened and McGonagall, Snape and Flitwick followed behind her as she walked out of the entrance hall.

I looked around for Cedric but I didn't see him. I sighed and followed the person ahead of me. I wrapped myself around in my coat tightly around myself and headed out. I could see the train waiting for us. The teachers climbed into the first compartment. Everyone began to scatter to get onto the same compartment as their friends. I wondered where Cedric was. I looked around before getting onto the train.

"Cho," a voice said from behind me. It was Cedric.

"Hi," I said.

His cheeks and nose was flushed pink from the bitter cold wind. "I tried to look for you but I couldn't find you."

"I tried to find you…but I couldn't."

I found an empty compartment and sat down. Cedric followed but sat across from me.


	5. Hogsmeade

Author's Note: Okay, this is where I get into Cho and Cedric's family so I'm making this up. Please bear with me. Remember, Cho is Korean in my story so bear with me again.

          *                 *                 *                 *                 *

The trip to Hogsmeade was about forty-five minutes long and that was a good thing. Cedric and I had a lot to talk. I never truly sat down to talk with a guy before until Cedric. It seemed that we were both comfortable talking with each other and expressing to each other openly. I was happy about that; it meant that I could tell him a lot of things. We told each other about our families.

He said that he lived with his father and his mother in a small town outside of London. He was the only child but he longed for a younger sibling. He grew up around Europe before he came to the United Kingdom to stay. He was born in London and lived in Ireland, Scotland and France and finally he and his family found it better to settle in England and that was the year he received his letter. His whole family had been witches and wizards and he said that his mother often said that he showed signs of being a wizard when he was a child. Cedric also commented that he was a troublemaker while in Muggle School. He said that he was often sent home because he would start quarrels at school and be the one punching somebody. (A/N: Not really like Cedric but hey, it's his childhood. I had to do something.) It seemed as if he lived a very happy childhood. His parents were happy with him even when he did start things at Muggle School. 

Then it was my turn to tell. I didn't have much to tell. I told him that I was born in Pusan, South Korea which was in Asia and it was a city that was a couple of hours outside of the capital, Seoul. I stayed in Pusan until I was seven-years old and then moved to England on account of my parents' divorce. I went to live with my mother who thought it was time to get away from Korea (but I think it was because she knew Hogwarts was in England and that it was a very good school). I had one older brother but he wasn't a wizard. My father was a Muggle and my mother was a witch. I said that my mother was excited when I received my letter. 

"Basically," I began, "I've lived here since I was seven."

"You haven't ever spoken to your father?"

I shook my head. "I don't think he wants anything to do with me now that I'm a witch."

"You and your mother get along?"

I nodded. "Of course. I don't know where I would be without her. She inspired me to play Quidditch. She was the Seeker for the South Korean team before she was married. She helps me practice."

"Quidditch," Cedric recalled, smiling. "It feels as if Hogwarts is empty without it – nothing seemed to rout the students more than the love of the game."

I laughed. "I miss it. I asked my mother to buy me a broom too but she just smirked and said no. I asked her why and she said that I would find out soon enough."

"The Triwizard Tournament?" 

I nodded. "What else? I'm sure your father and mother had to be saying something about it."

He nodded. "Yeah, I often heard them discussing it when my father came home from work."

"Yeah, my mother and some of her friends that went to Hogwarts would take about it but when I came into the room they quickly pretended as if they were talking about something else just so I wouldn't hear."

It was hard to imagine myself talking to Cedric though it was as if he was right under my nose the whole time I was at Hogwarts. He could have been eyeing me from the beginning and I wouldn't have even known but it was nothing to worry about now. I was having an interesting conversation and it was a way for us to get to know each other better. _Maybe I could ask him about me later… Now's not the time._

After another thirty minutes of conversation and much laughing, a prefect came into the compartment and said that we had arrived. 

"They think that we would figure that out by now," said Cedric, putting his cloak on and handing me mine.

I smiled and said, "Thank you."

The hallways were full of students and we clambered out of the train and into the cold weather. I could hear Professor McGonagall's voice and turned to the right to see her motioning students toward her. I saw that she was gripping her cloak tight around her as were the students in front of her. 

"Imagine if it snowed because of the cold weather," I told Cedric.

"It would be nice to see it snow," he replied as McGonagall was beginning to speak.

"All right. Are we all here? Good. Now, those who are new to the area I want you all to stay close to some of the older ones and watch what they are doing. I don't want any of the prefects to give a bad report because they will be watching you. Off you go now. Enjoy yourselves."

Cedric offered me his arm and I gladly took it. I jingled the coins in my cloak pocket as we began to walk around. I was craving for a butterbeer and could smell the aroma coming from the pub, The Three Broomsticks, but my eyes lingered toward Honeydukes. I jingled the coins again in my pocket. I looked up at Cedric and wondered what he was thinking. Instantly, he spoke.

"Let's head to Honeydukes, shall we?" His smile almost made my heart melt despite of the cold weather.

I nodded and he led me into Honeydukes. We separated just this once and made our way to different sections of the stores. I headed instantly to the chocolate section. One could never have enough chocolate was what I always said and I at least came out of the shop spending two Galleons or more. I thought about Cedric and what he might say with all the chocolate that I would have in my hand. I shook my head and decided to skip this once. I picked myself a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and three Fizzing Whizbees. I turned around and look at Cedric, he was picking at some toffee.

When things were paid for and I had eaten one of my Fizzing Whizbees, it was time to head to The Three Broomsticks. Already it was filled with students and Hogwarts staff members. I could see that more than half of the pub had tankards of butterbeer and chattering excitedly with their friends. I followed Cedric to an empty table and he went off and came back five minutes later with two tankards full of foaming butterbeer.

"Thank you," I said as he set in on the table in front of me. He sat down while I took a drink of my butterbeer.  

Looking at Cedric, I was beginning to understand why many people – mostly girls – liked him so much. Besides the fact that his face was absolutely perfect in structure and his skin was a lovely peachy white, he was gentle, kind, smart and very polite. It was hard for even me to imagine that I was sitting here in The Three Broomsticks talking with him. I never did before look back at my years at Hogwarts but I was curious of how he thought of me. Now I wished I could get inside his head.

I remember what my mother said about boys: "Cho, be careful. Make sure that he is smart, treats you well, and that he is liked by other people." I'm sure that she was referring that I should be careful and not to marry someone like Dad but then again I'm sure her mother told her the same thing. It wasn't important now. Cedric and I were only out for one day.

"Cho, are you alright?" said Cedric.

I stared at him for a moment. "Yeah, sorry."

"You seem to be daydreaming or something."

I smiled. I couldn't help it. "Sorry, I don't mean to. I'm just thinking a lot."

"About…"

I stared into my butterbeer. Feeling my cheeks go pink, I took a sip of butterbeer. "Nothing," I replied. Of course, I couldn't tell him.


	6. Secrets

It was half past five and the students were beginning to line up and board the Hogwarts Express.

"Come on!" yelled McGonagall, looking around sternly at everyone. "Hurry up! We don't want to lose anyone."

When the compartments were full and the train had begun to move it seems as if a deep silence had spread through both Cedric and me. I was staring out the window and I could see from the corner of my eye that Cedric was watching me. I was thinking about him and how I had such a good time talking to him and finally getting to know him. I tried not to look back at him or to even smile. I ran my fingers through my hair trying to calm my nerves.

Cedric moved over and sat next to me. I continued to look out the window. I soon felt Cedric's hand slip into mine. My heart began to beat faster.

"I hope you don't mind, Cho," he said almost in a whisper, "just thought you might want someone to hold onto you."

I smiled and stared at our hands. I felt a tingle run down my spine.

                   *                 *                 *                 *                 *

It was Monday morning and I was in the Great Hall eating breakfast with Emily. I was explaining to her what happened.

_"Oh, Cho!_ He held your hand!" she squealed with excitement. "Wait 'till Marietta hears about this!"

Just then (as if Emily was cueing her) Marietta walked in. She sat down quietly to the left of me and began helping herself to sausages when Emily said,

"Marietta, where have you been?"

Marietta seemed a bit annoyed and looked at Emily from the corner of her eye and she said, "Around."

"Were you at Hogsmeade?" I asked.

"No."

I looked at Emily and she stared back while shrugging her shoulders.

"Are you upset?" she asked.

Marietta shook her head. "No, now if you would please stop talking to me. I would like to finish my breakfast."

As she spoke her last sentence, there was a loud screech of an owl and soon many owls came flying in to bring in the mail.

A white owl dropped The Daily Prophet in front of me. I recognized it as my mother's owl, Sahng-Choo, which meant "lettuce" in Korean. I named it when I was little and she doesn't reply to anything else but that name. She nipped at some toast on my plate and then flew away. I quickly unraveled The Daily Prophet to see a picture of Hogwarts the front page said, "Upcoming Triwizard Tournament Held at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry".

"Wow, look at that," said Emily, taking a bite of her toast. "May I see that, Cho?"

"Sure," I said, handing it to her.

She began to read aloud. "'It seems that the first task of the Triwizard Tournament is the essence of topic at Hogwarts.' Oy, this is old news. The Tournament isn't for another week."

I nodded but was still curious. Was Cedric worried about the first task? _He hasn't mentioned it at all. _"What does that Rita Skeeter lady have to write?"

She grunted as she flipped the pages. "It's nothing but a bunch of crap anyways."

"Poor Harry," I said, peering over at the Gryffindor table. "I bet he hates her because of what she's been writing."

"I'm sure everyone but those nasty Slytherins hate her," said Emily, looking at the Slytherin table.

I shrugged my shoulders.

Emily nudged me in the ribs and pointed behind me with her head. "Look," she mouthed.

I turned around. It was Cedric.

"Hey, Cedric."

"Hello, Cho, Emily," he replied, nodding in Emily's direction. "I'm not bothering the two of you am I?"

Emily spoke up. "No, I was _just _leaving." She stood up from the table and with a small wink to me, she left the Great Hall.

"Is it okay if I walk you to class?"

"Oh, yes, erm…sorry, hold on." I grabbed my bag, stuffed the newspaper in my bag and stood up. "Alright."

We walked out of the Great Hall followed by some other students.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Diggory and Chang," a dull voice said from behind us.

Cedric and I turned around to see an unpleasant surprise.

"Shove off, Malfoy," said Cedric, he loosened his grip from my hand.

"I'm not here to start anything, Diggory. I expect that you're only with him, Chang, for his fame of being the champion, eh?"

"Go off, Malfoy, and leave her alone."

I could Malfoy reaching into his robe pocket. "Cedric, let's go," I said.

"Listen to her," Malfoy said. "I'm sure she knows better. At least coming from where she comes from she should know, but she could always learn from you, Diggory. She's not only with you because of your fame but I'm sure her family and her needs the m—"

I shook my head, took my hand from Cedric's and ran up the stairs out of the entrance hall. Money was all Draco had to say and I would have slapped him. I knew he was going to say it.

So what if I didn't tell Cedric that I was sort of poor in a way. Mother tries her best but work isn't the best there is even in the Ministry. I didn't want anyone to know and the only people that do know is Emily, Marietta, and, of course, Dumbledore. I didn't need Cedric to know.

I rushed into Charms class, almost knocking Professor Flitwick from his feet, and hurriedly say down. I breathed a heavy sigh and pulled out my wand.


	7. Discussion

Halfway into Charms class, there came a knock upon the door. Professor Flitwick hopped off of his stack of books and waddled to the door. It opened before Flitwick could reach it. It was Professor Dumbledore. The headmaster and professor talked to each other over the mumble of students who were curiously watching the two. Flitwick turned around and looked at me. He motioned for me to come. I stood up and stuffed my wand in my pocket.

"Bring your things, Miss Chang," said the professor.

I nodded and went back and picked up my bag and my book. I walked out of the room as I put my book back into my bag and Flitwick shut the door behind me.

"You are not in trouble, Cho, don't worry," Dumbledore said to me as we began to walk. We were going to his office, I could tell before I had even climbed the stairs. "I heard that Mr. Malfoy was giving you and Mr. Diggory a hard time this morning."

"Oh, someone told you?" I asked.

"Cedric had something on his mind while he was walking to class. I just happened to be heading to the library at the time and stopped to talk to him. He told me that Mr. Malfoy mentioned something about your family that you didn't want anyone else to know." There was a twinkle in the headmaster's eyes.

"Oh well, yes… I don't want Cedric to know. That's why I haven't told many people, Professor."

"That's perfectly understandable, Cho. It seemed to bother Cedric though."

"I know…" I replied as we entered Dumbledore's office.

"It's hard for the people at the Ministry."

I nodded. "With the appearance of the Dark Mark at the Quidditch World Cup…I can only imagine how hard it is…"

"Headmaster," said a cold voice. It was Professor Snape with Cedric behind him. Cedric was taller than Snape so Cedric's forehead was visible. "You called for Mr. Diggory, sir?"

"Yes," said Dumbledore, "thank you, Severus."

Snape nodded and left.

Cedric walked over to me and smiled.

"You two may leave now if you wish."

We both nodded and left.

"You ran," Cedric said when we were clear from Dumbledore's office.

I nodded. "I couldn't help it, Cedric. I'm sorry…I really didn't mean to…"

He shook his head as we walked up the first flight of stairs. "It's alright, Cho. I'm not upset, I'm just curious. What did Malfoy say that made you so upset?"

"Nothing…really," I said, gripping my bag around my shoulder, "it was nothing."

"You don't have to tell me anything, Cho, if you're not ready."

A small smile spread across my face. "Well, I'm not ready just yet…" _Maybe in a couple of weeks…_

                   *                 *                 *                 *                 *  
          When Friday came I was beginning to truly see Cedric from the inside and out. It was easy for me to see that he was becoming nervous about the first task. He wasn't at breakfast that morning: he spent his only minutes in the library as if he knew what was going to happen at the first task. I found him in the back of the library forty-five minutes before classes started. I didn't even finish my breakfast but quickly went to look for him after the mail had arrived.

Cedric was flipping through the pages of a book about dragons. I stared at him in bewilderment. 

"Dragons!?" I said.

"Dragons," Cedric stated.

"How do you know that the first task is going to be about dragons?"

A small smile spread across his face. "Let's just say a little bird told me."

I smirked. "Cute, Cedric."

He chuckled and Madam Pince hushed him. He closed the book and put it back on the shelf. "Let's head on out of here, shall we, Cho?"

"Good idea. I'm getting hungry."

"You didn't eat breakfast?" he asked as we walked out of the library and down the first flight of stairs.

"I did but only a little. I was looking for you."

"I would have come."

"I know…but still…"

Cedric and I split when we entered the Great Hall. I watched him walk to his friends who smirked and looked over at me. Emily moved over and I saw beside her. Marietta was eating silently at the corner of the table.

"What's up with Marietta?" I asked.

Emily looked at me. "You wanna know?"

I nodded. "Of course I do."

"Well, I mean, I've never seen her but someone told me that she's been out snogging with a sixth year Slytherin."

I stared at Emily, my mouth wide open. I peered over at Marietta. "Who told you that?"

"I overheard some Slytherins talking about it. They were being very mean and rude about it."

"What else did they say?" I asked.

"I'm sure most of them have never seen what Marietta looks like but they were saying that she's ugly."

"She is not."

Emily nodded. "I know that. I don't know if Marietta has heard about any of this or not but I don't want to be the one to tell her." She looked at her watch. "I think we better get going. We can't be late for Potions. Snape'll kill us."

"Yeah, I'm coming." I was concentrating more on Marietta than on Emily. I never really focused on Marietta but it was strange…the way she was acting lately. She was never the biggest attention-seeker but she did love a good crowd. I wondered why she was letting herself meddle with the Slytherins. I picked up my bag and sat myself beside Marietta.

She looked at me, anger flashed in her eyes. "What?"

"I want to talk to you, Marietta."

"What about?"

"How come you've been acting so strange lately? I mean, you haven't been hanging around with Emily and me and I was just wondering if something was wrong with you."

"Nothing's wrong, Cho, but thanks for asking."

"I've heard stuff…"

"What about?"

"You…and…erm…some Slytherin boy."

"Who told you?"

"Emily…well, she said that she overheard people talking about you…"

"So?"

I could tell that Marietta wasn't going to crack so easily. "Ah…never mind. I'll see you later." I stood up and walked out of the Great Hall. Emily was waiting for me.

"What did she say?" she asked as we began to walk toward the dungeons.

"I think she is with a Slytherin…but I want to know why. I thought Slytherins don't mess with other Houses."

"Maybe the Slytherin is tempting her."

"Doubtful, Emily, but then again you never know." Then something came to mind. "You think she is jealous?"

"Of what?"

"Of me."

"Why would she be?"

"Hasn't she said that she likes Cedric?"

Emily shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, Cho, it's been a long time."

"She must have said it, Emily. Think about it. She was never acting like this before."

"Maybe she thinks that you are spending too much time with Cedric and not enough time with your friends."

"You don't think that, do you?"

She shook her head. "No way. I understand that now you've got Cedric you don't need lots of time with your friends. I'm sure you and Cedric have been keeping yourselves" – there was a small hint of humor in her voice – _busy_." She smirked.

Together we walked into Potions class with ten minutes to spare. Professor Snape wasn't anywhere in sight so we continued to chatter along with the other students. 

I could tell that Emily was playing around. "That's not funny!"

Emily giggled. "It is too. Besides, you know you'll kiss him eventually!"

I blushed.

"See! You're blushing! Ha!"

I smirked. "That doesn't matter! There's more to a relationship than kissing!"

"Sure there is…"

I hit Emily playfully on the arm. "It's not funny, Emily," I said. She seemed to be full of the giggles. _It's not true… Kissing Cedric is a long time from now. _Boy, was I ever wrong about that.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Yeah, Marietta is being a bit of an erm…grudge in this chapter and maybe some other ones. Thanks, Gkey for the thought of making Marietta get together with a nasty Slytherin! ^.^


	8. Dragons

A/N: Whoa, now I'm really getting into the first task! I'm using a couple of lines from the fourth book but remember, I DON'T OWN ANY OF IT! IF I DID, I WOULD BE SUPER RICH but unfortunately, I'm not. It's J.K. Rowling's world – we just live in it!

          *                 *                 *                 *                 *

Monday morning strolled by really fast. While at Hogsmeade, Cedric truly looked as if he was going to be sick and I knew he was thinking about the first task. I wasn't really eating breakfast that Monday. Every once in a while I would look over at the Hufflepuff table to make sure that Cedric was eating and sure enough he was. Lunch was going to be eaten as well but he still needed energy to make it through the day. Emily nudged me with her elbow.

"What?" I asked her, looking away from the Hufflepuff table.

"He's not going to starve himself, you know," she said.

"Yeah, yeah, but still."

"Ah…Cho…being little Miss Over-Protective, are we?" She smirked.

I stared at her. "Oh, be quiet, Emily! _I am not!" _

Emily nodded. "Yeah…" she stretched the word out.

I glared at her and continued to eat.

                                                *

Where the day went, I really don't know but it didn't seem as if the day was long enough. The both of us were eating and then I saw Professor McGonagall hurry Cedric away from the table and then she came to the Ravenclaw table and shooed Fleur away from her fellow Beauxbatons friends.

"He's so nervous," I told Emily. "I hope he'll be okay."

"I'm sure he will, Cho, stop worrying. What did I tell you yesterday?"

"Ah, hush."

As soon as the four champions were rushed down to the grounds, Professor Dumbledore stood up and spoke. "The first task will be beginning shortly. As soon as the champions are ready, the head of house will lead their house to the grounds. I ask that you please be silent as the champions get ready but feel free to cheer them on."

Professor Flitwick soon appeared from the teachers' table and everyone stood up including the Beauxbatons students. I could see that some of the Beauxbatons students standing on their tiptoes, surely they were looking for their headmistress, Madame Maxime. "All right, everyone," squeaked Professor Flitwick. "Let's hurry along here and follow the Gryffindors down to the grounds."

                                                *

Emily nudged me in the ribs and pointed, almost poking my eye out. "Look!" she exclaimed. "Dragons!"

Cedric was right; the first task _was_ about dragons – _real _ones. _I hope he'll be okay._

"Look," she continued, "Swedish Short-Snout, a Chinese Fireball, a Welsh Green and oh heavens – a Hungarian Horntail!"

"How do you know about all these dragons?"

"Ah, my brother's practically an expert on dragons. He's crazy about them. That's all I ever hear him talk about when he's at home. Heavens, he's only eight-years old and he knows everything. I bet he would marry one if he had the chance." She giggled.

Then a whistle was blown and seconds later Cedric came walking out onto the field from a tent. He was nervous, it was easy to see. His face looked rather green. 

"I wonder what they have to get," Emily asked, above the screams of the crowd as Cedric distracted the dragon by Transfiguring a rock on the ground to a dog. He was trying to make the dragon go for the dog.

I shrugged my shoulders. I wasn't listening really. I was watching Cedric more. The dragon blew a fireball and singed the bottom of Cedric's robe.

Ludo Bagman was doing the commentary – rather badly I thought. "_Clever_ move – pity it didn't work!"

Cedric seemed to be having a hard time getting past his dragon and retrieving whatever needed to be retrieved. After fifteen minutes of quick anticipation, the audience let out a deafening scream. Sure enough, Cedric made it. He was holding a dragon's egg: a golden dragon's egg.

"Very good indeed!" Bagman shouted. "And now the marks from the judges!" He gestured to his left. Madame Maxime, Professor Dumbledore, Ludo Bagman himself, Barty Crouch and Professor Karkaroff were the judges. Madame Maxime shot out a number seven from her wand as did Mr. Crouch. Professor Dumbledore shot out a nine, Bagmen a six and Karkaroff a five.

"Oh, dang, they stink. They could have given him better scores," I mumbled to myself over the cheering of the crowd.

Next, Fleur Delacour came from the tent when the whistle was blown and she was trembling but she held her wand in her hand. She faced the Welsh Green. It seemed as if she tried to put the dragon into a trance but she was singed too on her skirt but she quickly put it out with water from her wand and within ten minutes she retrieved her egg. Viktor Krum was next and he faced the Chinese Fireball. He hit the dragon with a spell right in the eye but the dragon went around in agony and squashed half the real eggs. Then it was finally Harry Potter's turn and he faced the deadliest dragon of the four: the Hungarian Horntail.

Harry concentrated on the dragon for a few seconds before raising his wand and shouting, _"Accio Firebolt!" _Seconds went by and his broomsticks flew behind him.

"Look at that!" Bagman shouted. "Potter's got his broom to help him!"

Harry mounted his broom and soared up high into the air until he looked like a speck of sand. He then dived but the dragon's head was following quickly behind him. The Horntail released a fireball but Harry barely missed it.

"Great Scott, he can fly!" yelled Bagman as the crowd shrieked and gasped. "Are you watching this, Mr. Krum?"

Harry soared high in a circle. The dragon was still following behind him. Harry dived again as the Horntail opened its mouth and blew out another fireball. He missed the fireball but was hit in the arm by its tail which caused his robes to rip. The crowd screamed (I screamed) and groaned. A few more moves in the air and the dragon shot out another fireball. He swerved down to reach the golden egg as Horntail spread its wings and the eggs were unprotected. He finally managed to take a hold of it and the crowd screamed and applauded loudly.

"Look at that!" Bagmen yelled. "Will you look at that! Our youngest champion is the quickest to get his egg. This is going to shorten the odds on Mr. Potter!"

Harry finally finished and the dragon keepers rushed over and strained the Horntail. Five minutes later Harry was back on the field but only to see his score. Madame Maxime shot up an eight, Mr. Crouch shot up a nine as did Dumbledore and the crowed cheered harder. (_"Unbelievable!" _shouted Emily.) Ludo Bagman shot up a ten.

"That's unbelievable, Emily!" I shouted above the roaring of the crowd. 

It was then Karkaroff's turn. He shot up a four.

The crowd was quiet. Well, most of the crowd. The Slytherins were easy to hear. 

_"What is he thinking!?" _I yelled at Emily. "Harry did darn right well! That dumb (A/N: Cho said a bad word in Korean! Shame on her! Haha. I'm so not going write it out. I barely even know how to spell it in English)!"

_"Cho!"_Emily looked stunned even though she didn't know what I said. 

"Sorry, Emily," I mumbled. 

The crowd was beginning to empty the field and back to Hogwarts.

"I think Krum and Harry are tied, Cho," Emily said. "I think – _whoa!" _She pointed behind me.

"What?" I looked to where she was pointing. She was pointing at Marietta who was with a Slytherin. He was tall with black hair and black eyes, he was Asian-looking. He had a tan complexion and he was rather cute. _"The Slytherin!" _I said as Emily and I began to walk with the crowd of people.

"I know. He is sort of cute, eh?"

We passed the tents where the four champions were and I saw Cedric looking at me. "I'll be back, Emily. Go on ahead without me." I walked over to Cedric. I smiled at him. "You were good, Cedric, really good. Are you all right though? I saw the dragon burned your robe."

His cheeks went pink. "Yeah I'm okay. I suppose I did well but I'm in second or third place. Viktor and Harry tied."

"I know. I think it was brilliant that Harry managed to call his broomstick. I wouldn't have even thought of that. I'm really surprised that Krum didn't do it since he does play for the Bulgaria Quidditch team." I looked up at Cedric; he had a look of disappointment on his face. The crowd diminished quickly and the teachers went along behind the crowd. I realized that I said something wrong. _Of course, Cedric plays Quidditch… I bet he thinks that I thought he's stupid for not thinking of using his broom. _"Oh, Cedric, I'm sorry…" I mumbled. "I didn't mean anything by what I said…"

He smiled a small smile. "It's all right, Cho." He was lying – I could tell. I had to tell him later that he's a bad liar.

I looked away. I wrapped my hand into his but he didn't seem to care. 

"Let's go back down to Hogwarts," he said, pulling his hand away.

"Okay." I wished that I could have taken back what I said. _I didn't mean it, Cedric… I'm sorry._


	9. My First

A/N: I think that I'm really on a role with this story. This chapter is where I really get _into_ Cedric and Cho's relationship…hehe… (and no, it's not nasty!!! What're you thinking!?) I don't care that I don't get many reviews! Thanks to all the people that have been reviewing though! It's highly appreciated! Oh, and for the heck of it since I'm doing a story with Cedric and Cho in it, **Henry Cavill for Cedric Diggory & Kwon BoA for Cho Chang! Henry is so cute and of course, Cedric is too and BoA is really pretty and I'd think she'd be perfect!!**

Disclaimer: Don't own nothing (as always)! But I am showing my support.

                   *                 *                 *                 *                 *                 

Cedric and I made our way back down to Hogwarts and caught up with the rest of the crowd. We split and he went over to his friends and began talking. I found Emily. 

"What's wrong, Cho?" she asked me. She could easily read my facial expression.

"I think I said something that I shouldn't've said."

"What's that?"

"I was telling Cedric how I thought it was neat how Harry called on his broom to come help it since he plays Quidditch and everything. I also told him that I thought it was weird how Krum didn't think about it since he is on a world famous team. I think he got upset because I didn't say much about him…."

"Oh, Cho, it's okay. I'm sure you didn't mean it."

"I didn't, Emily, but when I reached for his hand to hold it, I don't think he was really in the mood."

"Oh… I'm sorry, Cho."

I shrugged my shoulders. "It's okay. It was my fault anyways."

                   *                 *                 *                 *                 *

It faded slowly into December and the weather grew colder really fast. It was a comfy feeling to see the village of Hogsmeade under a blanket of white snow. Cedric and I were sitting in the back corner of The Three Broomsticks, away from the crowd and partially away from the lights. We chattered and sipped some butterbeer. I thought about bringing up the subject of the first task but I'm not sure if Cedric was really into it.

"Is something wrong, Cho?" Cedric asked me, staring at me.

"Oh no, nothing."

He knew that I was lying. "Give in, Cho; I know when you're lying now."

I smirked. "Well, let's see… Do you remember after the first task when I told you about Harry and his broom and the Viktor Krum not thinking about getting a broom and the whole sentence about the Quidditch thing?"

Cedric nodded. "What about it?"

"Did it bother you, I mean, what I said?"

"Oh well, I know you didn't mean it but then again you were caught up in the moment of everything. You probably weren't thinking about what you saying…" his voice trailed off.

"You must have thought that I was developing a crush," I stated.

"I wouldn't blame you, Cho."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, being who Harry _is_… I just thought…" He didn't finish his sentence.

"Oh…" I took a sip of my butterbeer. _I shouldn't have said anything._

Cedric stood up.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Follow me, Cho."

I stared at him but stood up too. "Okay."

He took me by the hand and led me out of The Three Broomsticks. He led me into the Hog's Head, the pub that rarely had any good business (A/N: I'm sorry if that's the wrong name for the pub. I don't remember…and I'm too lazy to drag out my Order of the Phoenix and look….). There were a few students in there probably all in their seventh years. The pub was dim; I had to squint to see anything. Cedric dragged me to the back of pub and sat me down.

"Cedric, what're we doing here? No one ever comes in here."

Before I even knew it, Cedric kissed me. I was taken back by it but I didn't pull away. I had never kissed anyone before and to be honest, I liked it. No wonder he wanted to come into the Hog's Head. Business was slow, there weren't many people, and the lights were dim. Seconds later, Cedric pulled back. I licked my upper lip. He soon spoke.

"I really like you, Cho and I hope that our relationship lasts longer than just this year."

I smiled shyly. I didn't know what to say. Cedric seemed to understand so he kissed me again. (A/N: Ha! Cedric doesn't seem like the person who'd keep kissing someone, does he!? Haha!) The whole time that we were kissing I felt chills run up and down my spine. Not frightening chills but those tingles that make you feel jumpy. He pulled slowly away from me. I was smiling with nothing to say. Good thing Cedric spoke.

"I'm not rushing things am I?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No…you're fine." _And a really great kisser too… _

He smiled. 

I think it was then when I truly had deep feelings for Cedric. He was so nice to me and I was glad that he really liked me because I really liked him too. I was excited about going to the Yule Ball with him hoping that all of Hogwarts would notice their favorite (well, sort of a favorite) champion with a pretty Ravenclaw girl. I laughed a little bit and saw that Cedric was smiling again.

"I bet I can guess what you're thinking," he said.

I smirked. "Then guess."

"The Yule Ball. I'm sure that's been on lots of people's minds, especially the girls."

_Yeah, but that doesn't mean I have to tell you what I'm _really _thinking…_


	10. Charmed

I awoke on Christmas morning to the sound of Emily, Min and Marietta laughing. I stretched and yawned, rubbed by eyes and looked over at Marietta whose curly red hair had tinsel wrapped in it. I smiled and looked by the foot of my bed to see five presents wrapped in different color paper and bows of silver, gold and blue. I climbed out of bed and walked into the dormitory bathroom, ran cold water and splashed it on my face to let myself wake up.

"Hurry up, Cho!" I heard Emily call.

"Coming!" I yelled, wiping my face with a dry towel and turning the water off. 

                                                *

Despite the fact that it was Christmas, the first couple of hours seemed to go by real slow. I woke up at seven and it was eight o'clock by the time I was finished opening presents. Mother sent me a silver necklace that she told me to wear to the Yule Ball and five Chocolate Frogs (one girl can never have too much Chocolate Frogs), Emily gave me a new eagle feather quill, SuYoung also gave me a new quill but it was from a peacock. Marietta gave me two inkwells one that was blue and one that sparkled when you wrote. Min gave me a book on the Toyashi Tengu Quidditch team from Japan (since she was Japanese herself). During the process of opening presents and changing out of our pajamas, each of us went back and forth talking about the Yule Ball. Emily had a robe of soft lavender with frills at the end of the sleeves and at the bottom of the robe. Marietta had a pastel blue one that had a hood attached to it with lace at the end of the robe and at the sleeves.

SuYoung walked into the dormitory with silver tinsel in her hair. "Cho," she began, "I was just walking down the stairs when I ran into Cedric. He wants to talk to you. He had a gift in his hand; I think it's for you."

Emily squealed. "A Christmas present for you! I wonder what it is!"

"He must really like you, Cho! He got you something," Marietta said.

"I don't have anything for him…" I mumbled.

Min handed me a gold bag with tissue paper in it and grabbed my eagle feather quill and stuffed it in the bag. 

"Hey!" Emily protested. "That was my present to Cho! I don't want Cedric to have it!"

"Well, I do," I said taking the bag from Min. "I don't have anything to give him and quills are always nice things to give."

"That's why I gave one to you."

"I know, Emily, but please. I bet he got me something really nice…and I just don't have anything."

"Blah, fine. Tell me if he likes it or not."

I smiled. "Thanks, Emily." I walked out of the dormitory, down to the common room and passed the Knight. I walked down two flights of stairs before I finally saw Cedric walking down a flight of stairs. "Cedric!" I called after him. 

He turned around. SuYoung was right – he did have a box – a rather small one – in his hand that was wrapped with silver and blue paper with a silver bow. I gripped his present tightly in my hand and walked down to meet him. "Cho."

I smiled. "Hey…" I never felt so nervous giving someone a Christmas present before. "Erm… I got something for you… You know, for Christmas…" I offered it to him.

A smile spread across his face as he accepted the gift. "Thanks, Cho. Um, I got you something too…" He handed the present to me. 

I felt myself blushing red. Why was I so shy? "Thanks." There was a moment of silence and then Cedric kissed me. I was a little taken back by it…kissing in the middle of the Grand Staircase while walking down stairs. Together we pulled away and we were both pink in the face. 

Cedric cleared his throat. "Well, I guess I'll see you after breakfast."

"Um…yeah. 'Bye, Cedric." I walked back up the stairs to the Ravenclaw Tower, passed the Knight, in the common room and up the stairs to my dormitory. Everyone was still in there including SuYoung who had taken my place on my bed. 

"That was quick," Min said.

"Yeah, well—"

"What happened?" Marietta asked.

I looked at her. "What're you talking about?"

"Something obviously happened if you didn't take that long."

"Oh…well…nothing really… I just gave him the present and he gave me mine…"

"And?" SuYoung jumped in, wanting to know everything. She was looking at the present in my hand back to my face.

"Erm…we sort of kissed…just once though."

A smirk spread across Marietta's face. "You guys are that close already…?"

"It's Christmas, Marietta, let it go!" I said. 

She stifled her giggles in her hands.

Emily looked at her. "Forget it. What did he get you?"

"I don't know," I replied.

"Open it already!" she urged.

SuYoung got off my bed and sat on the floor and I sat down at the foot of my bed. I peeled off the bow and the wrapping paper to discover and long velvet blue box. Everyone gathered around my bed as I opened it to reveal a silver charm bracelet. There was already a charm on it: a heart. 

"Ooo…look!" Min said, smiling. 

I took it out of the box. 

"Let me put it on for you!" Emily squealed.

"Okay," I said as she took the bracelet from me and I offered her my wrist. 

She clasped the bracelet on and looked at the charm. "He's so sweet, Cho."

I smiled. "I know…" 

It was quiet for a while until Min said that she wanted to go down for breakfast. Everyone agreed with her and together we clambered out of the dormitory and out of the common room. I walked behind everyone gripping the wrist that the charm bracelet was on. _Wow, he must really like me… He's so sweet… I can't believe I didn't even _think_ about getting him anything… You knew he was getting you something, Cho! a voice inside my head told me. "I know…" I mumbled back. "I should hold onto him…" We walked into the Great Hall and to the Ravenclaw table where there were a few people munching on breakfast, talking to their friends about Christmas, the Yule Ball and presents. _

I saw that Cedric was sitting at the Hufflepuff table talking among two of his friends. I wondered what they were talking about. Cedric didn't seem like the guy that would take about his girlfriend to all of his friends but it was every once in awhile when I saw his friends looking back at me from the corner of their eyes. 

"He's not talking about anything bad," Marietta said to me, interrupting my train of thought.

"I know but one can never wonder too much," I told her.

"I think you do. Cho, Cedric would never talk bad about you. He's too sweet and if you don't see that, then I don't know what you see in him."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Author's Note: This isn't leading up to anything bad so the ending isn't what you think but it really makes you wonder what Cedric really talked about among his friends. ^.^ Thanks for everyone who's been reviewing! It's much appreciated. 


	11. Close

Author's Note: Fun fun. Using some parts in the book here.

* * * * *

When term was closing to an end and I wasn't with Cedric I was with Emily, Marietta (I think maybe she got over the Slytherin but I never bothered to ask her anything about it) and a couple of my others friends sitting in the common room and wondering about the Yule Ball and how it was going to be like. Emily stated that Dumbledore had gotten the Weird Sisters to come and play at the ball. Marietta didn't believe it and just laughed outrageously every time Emily mentioned it. Eventually, SuYoung hit her and told her to get over it because that's what she had heard too.

It was a week before the Yule Ball and before Christmas and mother had sent me a dark silver-blue dress robe made of satin with long open sleeves. It reached down to my feet and weird enough as it was I instantly tried it on after I had received it. At first I didn't care for it but the longer I stared into the mirror the longer I thought of Cedric and wondered how much he would like what I would be wearing. I scribbled my mother a quick note of thank you and sent Sahng-Choo off with the letter. 

It was finally Friday afternoon and the last class was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Moody was worrying us with our O.W.L.s. I could see that Emily and Min were frantically trying to write everything he was saying down. Marietta was writing but I had a feeling that she wasn't writing notes. When class was dismissed, my friends and I walked out of Defense Against the Dark Arts. I almost bumped into Harry while walking out the door. This was the first time I was asked by anyone else to tag along with them to the Yule Ball.

"Er – Cho? Could I have a word with you?" he asked.

Instantly, Emily, SuYoung, Min, and Marietta all started to giggle feverishly but I didn't. "Okay," I replied and followed him around the corridor. My mind filled with weird thoughts of what he wanted to talk to me about.

He mumbled something as I stood there, watching him, very puzzled. He then said something louder but it was a bunch of words all jumbled together.

"Sorry?" I said.

"D'you – D'you want to go to the ball with me?" Harry finally let it out and he went red.

"Oh!" I said, going red too. "Oh Harry, I'm really sorry." I really was. "I've already said I'll go with someone else."

"Oh."

A couple of seconds went by of us standing there together. I didn't know what to say but luckily, he spoke,

"Oh okay, no problem."

"I'm really sorry," I said.

"That's okay."

We stood there looking at each other and then I said, "Well—"

"Yeah," he said.

"Well, 'bye," I said, still red in the face as I walked away.

"Who're you going with?" he called after me.

I turned around. "Oh – Cedric," I said. "Cedric Diggory."

"Oh right." 

There was something in his voice that made me regret what I had said. I walked up to the Ravenclaw Tower, passed the Knight, and into the common room. Min, SuYoung, Emily, and Marietta were all waiting in front of the fire. Their chatter quickly seized when I walked in. They turned to me, waiting for me to say something.

"He asked me to the Yule Ball," I finally let out.

Marietta gasped while Emily squealed. SuYoung and Min giggled together and stared at me.

"What did you say?" asked Min through a fit of giggles.

"What _else _could I say?" I asked, sitting down beside them. "I told him that I was going with Cedric."

"I wonder what he thought about that," Marietta said.

"What do you mean?"

"It's so obvious, Cho."

"What is?"

"That he likes you," Emily said.

I looked at her. "He does not."

"Oh, please, haven't you noticed?" Marietta said.

"What?" I never noticed but I did think that it would be nice to talk to him and become good friends. "I don't notice things like that." I stood up and walked up to my dormitory. I set my bag down on my bed and walked into the bathroom and ran cold water. I splashed some on my face and stared at myself in the mirror. My long black hair was down to my waist and my black eyes stared curiously back at me. My reflection soon spoke to me.

"What are you worrying about?" it asked.

"The Yule Ball."

"You'll be very pretty, I can see it."

I smiled. "I can imagine."

"Cedric made a good choice."

I continued to smile and walked out of the bathroom and down to the common room. It was empty. I assumed that everyone had gone down to the Great Hall for dinner. I didn't even think about dinner. I wasn't really hungry but I headed out of the Ravenclaw Tower and down to the Great Hall. Halfway down the stairs of the entrance hall I ran into a fifth year Ravenclaw, Michael Corner. He had short brown hair that was spiked up every day; he had hazel eyes and a nice smile that went well with his tan complexion. He stopped in front of me which made me stop. He was taller than me but just by a couple of inches.

"Hey, Cho," he said with a smile.

"Hi, Michael," I replied, smiling back at him.

"Can I talk to you for a minute or two?"

"Sure." I glanced over his shoulder and saw that Cedric was waiting for me by the entrance to the Great Hall. He was leaning against the wall with his hands behind his back. I followed Michael to the Grand Staircase.

"I was wondering about something, Cho."

I looked at him. "And what's that?"

He looked nervous. He hesitated a moment and went red. "Do you want to go to the Yule Ball with me?"

"Oh Michael, I'm sorry… I can't." I blushed.

"Are you going with someone else?"

I nodded. "Yeah… I'm sorry."

"It's okay… Who are you going with?"

"Cedric Diggory."

"The champion from Hufflepuff?"

I nodded again. "Sorry."

"It's all right," he said quickly.

I smiled and walked back into the entrance hall. Cedric was still there waiting for me. "You know," I said, walking up to him, "there's no point in waiting for me. We're going to split up anyways."

He chuckled. "Yeah, but still."

We walked into the Great Hall and split up. I sat between SuYoung and Emily.

"What took you so long?" asked Marietta when she swallowed her potatoes.

I looked at her. "Someone asked me to the Yule Ball." I glanced over at Michael who was chatting with his friends.

_"Again?" _Marietta dropped her fork with a loud clatter. Some people looked at her and she smiled nervously as she picked it back up. "Who?"

"Michael Corner," I said. "He's in fifth year."

"Wow, Cho, you're getting all these guys to ask you. I wonder what Cedric thinks," Emily said with a smirk.

"That's not funny, Emily. I don't want Cedric to know because he's perfectly fine as he is."

* * * * * * * * *

A/N: Sorry, this chapter seems to be a bit more of fluff than anything else. I'll try harder next time… -_-;;; 


	12. The Yule Ball

Author's Note: Oh, I forgot something. In the last chapter, the Toyashi Tengu Quidditch team, I got that courtesy of www.mugglenet.com. I forgot to mention that. Sorry that I haven't updated in awhile. My Internet has gone haywire and so had my computer and I don't know how to fix it. I hope this makes up for it!

Disclaimer: Don't own anything and you know it! Just this fanfic…

          *                  *                  *                  *                  *

It was six-thirty and already I was in the dormitory getting ready. I dressed into my blue robe and snapped on the necklace my mother gave me; Cedric's present to me was still dangling on my wrist. Marietta, Emily, and Min walked in and decided to help me get ready. I was really nervous and my hands were sweating the whole time. Marietta, Emily, Min, and SuYoung hurriedly dressed after they helped me.

"Shall we head off?" Emily asked glancing at herself one last time in the mirror and readjusted the curls in her hair. Her watch read seven forty-five.

"Yes, we should before we're late," I said, throwing back my long black hair. "I can't be late."

Marietta looked at me. "What do you mean?"

"The champions and their partners are opening up the Yule Ball."

"They're calling you partners?" she asked. "It's more like dates. Partners…" She shook her head.

SuYoung walked into our dormitory dressed in robes of pale ruby. Her shiny brown hair was flowing behind her as she squealed, "I'm ready for this!"

"Come on," I said, walking out of the dormitory and to the common room. It was surprising to see the people in the common room dressed in robes of different colors instead of the wave of black that was usually seen. "Let's go." I motioned them to follow me.

We walked down the Grand Staircase and into the entrance hall where many people had already begun to gather around the Great Hall entrance. Professor McGonagall was easily spotted over everyone. I saw Harry with Parvati Patil of Gryffindor, Krum was with a girl that I didn't recognize. Fleur was with the captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, Roger Davies. 

I saw Cedric waiting for me. "Hey, I'm going to go with Cedric, okay?" I said, making all four of them giggle horribly. I blushed. "I'll see you later okay?"

They nodded and went off in the other direction. I walked over to Cedric who was very close to Harry and Parvati. He looked very handsome with his hair done and in robes of crimson. He smiled as I walked toward him. "Hi, Cedric," I said, hoping to hide myself from blushing."

"Cho…" He was staring at me from head to toe. "You look very…"

"Pretty?" I tried to finish for him.

"Beautiful."

I blushed as butterflies fluttered in my stomach. "Thanks, Cedric. You look very handsome."

"Champions over here, please!" Professor McGonagall said. She was wearing red-checkered robes and a hat with wreaths of thistle around the brim. The champions and their partners walked to McGonagall who told us to wait on one side of the doors while everyone else went into the Great Hall.

Once everyone was inside Professor McGonagall told us to line in pairs and to follow her. My stomach was churning. I tried to calm myself as we followed her. Everyone in the Great Hall applauded as soon as we walked in. I felt really special at that moment. I looked up at Cedric – though he was taller than me by about a head and a half – I could tell he was smiling. We walked up toward a large round table at the top of the Hall. I looked around and noticed that the Hall was covered in sparkling silver frost with hundreds of mistletoe and ivy crossing the starry black ceiling. The House tables were gone and instead there were about a hundred smaller ones that could seat about a dozen people. Professor Dumbledore smiled as we approached the top table. Karkaroff wasn't smiling but more like glaring at us and next to him was Ludo Bagman who was clapping excitedly. Madame Maxime was dressed in a gown of lavender silk and was applauding and beside her was Percy Weasley who must have taken Mr. Crouch's place. We all sat down and the crowd stopped applauding and turned around to their tables which all had small menus on them.

"Interesting," I heard Cedric mumble. He looked over at me.

"I'm confused," I said.

He smiled and opened his menu. He looked over it for a few seconds and said to his plate, "Pork chops." Instantly the meat appeared on his plate. "That _is _interesting," he said.

I looked at my plate and picked up my menu. I opened it and looked around at the different courses. There was a variety of meats, vegetables, soups, salads, and desserts on the menu, I just couldn't choose. Cedric was already beginning to eat. He looked over at me. 

"Are you having a hard time?"

"There's just so much!" I said.

He smiled. "Don't fill up on a lot of food. You know there's still dancing to do."

"Yeah, I know," I replied as a baked potato smeared with butter and sour cream appeared on my plate. "I'm no good at dancing, Cedric."

"Neither am I but I'm sure we can work something out."

I laughed and nodded. I looked over at everyone else. Viktor and his date were deep in conversation while Fleur was criticizing the Hogwarts decorations.

                                                  *

When the food had been consumed and everyone was deep in chatter, Dumbledore stood up and asked the students to do the same. With a wave of his wand the tables zoomed back along the walls leaving the floor empty and with another wave he conjured up a raised platform along the right hall. A set of drums, several guitars, a lute, a cello, and some bagpipes were on it. The Weird Sisters began to walk onto the stage to a roar of applause. They all had wild hair and wore robes that seemed as if they were purposely ripped and torn. The lanterns on the other tables had gone out as the Weird Sisters picked up their instruments. The champions and their partners began standing up.

Cedric offered me his arm. "Let's try to dance shall we?" He smirked.

I laughed and gladly took his arm. "Let's."

The band broke into a slow, mournful tune. Cedric wrapped his arm around my waist and slipped his hand into mine. We sort of glided along the floor stepping on each other's toes once or twice before we finally followed each other's steps. Other people began pulling their partners onto the floor and began dancing. The Weird Sisters finished their song that was followed by a huge applause as people began to sit down and the Sisters started another song but faster. Cedric pulled me closer to him as we and others danced to the fast tune of the band. I wanted him to kiss me but I kept my thoughts to myself as I felt eyes crawling upon my back.

                                                  *

When the Weird Sisters finished playing at midnight everyone gave them a last, loud round of applause and started to make their way to the entrance hall. I think that many people were hoping that it could have lasted longer but I was tired and ready to head to the Ravenclaw Tower and crawl into bed. Cedric and I whipped past students who were saying their goodbyes to one another.

"Cho," Cedric said, "would it be okay if I went and talked to Harry for a moment? I have to tell him something."

"Um…sure. I'll be right here." I watched Cedric walk the stairs to Harry. Harry's friend, Ron Weasley, left him so that the two could talk. I saw Harry peering over Cedric's shoulder twice before Cedric returned to me. "What did you tell him?"

"Erm…something about the dragon egg."

"Oh, you've figured something out?"

"Yes," he said with a nod. "You know when I tried the open the egg?"

"Yeah, it squealed as if it was screaming or something."

"Exactly. Well, the other right I took the egg with me…" he blushed pink as he said this "into the bath and opened it under the water. It sang a tune… It was rather odd now that I think about it."

I looked at him.

"Hm…well, I guess I'll see you off then, Cho."

I nodded. "Yes…"

"Tomorrow then?"

"Yes, tomorrow…"

He kissed me on the lips and walked out of the entrance hall, blushing pink.

I smiled to myself with chills running down my spine as I walked out of the entrance hall and to the Ravenclaw Tower. I yawned and walked up to the dormitory. I undressed out of my robe and into my pajamas yawning with every motion that I took. Marietta, Emily, and Min walked in minutes later, yawning together. We smiled at each other, each of us had w wonderful time it was easy to see but I think I had the most wonderful time ever.


	13. Sweetness

It was early January and term had begun, the second task was drawing nearer. Cedric was spotted in the library looking at specific books on water animals. I wanted to help him but I thought it better just to leave him alone until he talked to me. I was approached on the evening of the second task almost an hour before it started by Professor Flitwick who told me that I was needed for the second task and to report to Professor Dumbledore who was in Professor McGonagall's office. It looked as if I wasn't the only one who was needed. Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and some girl who looked as if she was only eight-years-old with silvery-blonde hair were also in McGonagall's office when I was there. I sat down with the three other people.

"We're going to need all of you for the second task," Dumbledore explained. "I'll be casting a spell upon you that will put you into a deep sleep. All of you will be safe and you will awaken once you are above water."

                                                  *

The next thing I knew I was being pulled out of the lake by Cedric. Madam Pomfrey wrapped think blankets around us and gave us something to drink that caused steam to come from both of our ears.

"What happened?" I asked Cedric.

"The egg – when I pulled it underwater it said, 'Come seek us where our voices sound, We cannot sing above the ground. We've taken what you'll sorely miss.' The whole task was rescuing you, you know. It's nothing now that you're okay. At first I thought Harry was going to grab you but I got there just in time. You were taken by the merpeople in the lake. I thought I wasn't going to make it. There was only an hour…"

"So," I began, "the merpeople took me 'cause I was something that you would 'sorely miss' and I was put at the bottom of the lake with other hostages and you saved me but you only had an hour to do it."

He nodded and wrapped the blanket tighter around him; he was looking toward the lake. 

Fleur came out of the water but she wasn't holding anyone. Madame Maxime helped her out of the lake. She had cuts on her face and on her arms and her robes were torn. Madam Pomfrey tried to clean her scars but Fleur ignored her. Minutes later, Viktor Krum had come out of the lake holding his hostage. Hermione seemed to be awake and helped herself onto the ground. Madam Pomfrey rushed to them. She wrapped blankets around them and gave them something to drink. Twenty minutes went by before Harry came out of the water with two hostages: Ron and the girl with silvery hair. The judges huddled together as Fleur went to the girl.

Seconds later, Ludo Bagman's voice was magnified and the crowd went silent. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our decision. Mercheiftainess Murcus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions, as follows…

"Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by grindylows as she approached her goal, and failed to retrieve her hostage. We award her twenty-five points."

There was applause from the stands as Fleur said, "I deserved zero." She shook her head.

"Cedric Diggory," Bagman continued, "who also used the Bubble-Head Charm, was first to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time limit of an hour." There was an enormous applause from the Hufflepuffs in the crowd. I smiled at Cedric. "We therefore award him forty-seven points."

Cedric returned his smile to me and I quickly kissed him on the cheek. He was in first place so far.

"Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration, which was nevertheless effective and was second to return with his hostage. We award him forty points.

"Harry Potter used gillyweed to great affect. He returned last and well outside the time limit of an hour. However the Mercheiftainess informs us that Mr. Potter was first to reach the hostages, and that the delay in his return was due to his determination to return all the hostages to safety, not merely his own. Most of the judges feel that this shows moral fiber and merits full remarks." He threw Karkaroff a nasty look. "However… Mr. Potter's score is forty-five points."

The crowd broke into a wild applause. The champions clapped along with everyone else though Cedric knew that he was tied with Harry.

"The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty-fourth of June," continued Bagman. "The champions will be notified of what is coming precisely one month beforehand. Thank you for all your support of the champions."

Madam Pomfrey came to us once again and asked if we were okay and then shooed the champions and their hostages back into the castle so we could get into dry clothes.

"I'm glad it's over," Cedric muttered to me. "I didn't want anything to happen to you."

I smiled. "I'm glad to know that you care so much."

He slipped his hand into mine as we walked back into the castle.

I didn't care that we were in wet clothes or that teachers were behind us or ahead of us as I kissed him on the cheek. I was glad to have him, glad that he did ask me to the Yule Ball and not any other girl. I was glad that he was here I didn't want to let him go.

The crowd soon diminished as Cedric and I headed our separate ways. Marietta, Emily, Min, and SuYoung soon caught up with me.

"Cho, I was so worried about you!" Emily squeaked. "We were all looking for you! We thought something terrible had happened! We were so relieved when we saw Cedric pull you out of the lake."

"Thanks for worrying, Emily, but I'm perfectly fine," I told her as we entered the Ravenclaw common room. Its blue armchairs and glowing fireplace comforted me though reminded me that I was still in wet clothes.

"You must be proud of Cedric," Marietta said, "being tied with _Harry Potter_."

"What do you mean?" I asked. "You think that Cedric isn't good enough?"

Marietta hesitated. "No…just…Harry _does _like you…"

"That doesn't mean he's better than Cedric."

"I never said that!"

"You were sure leading to it!" I shouted. A few heads in the common room turned my way as I stomped off to the girls' dormitories.


	14. Humor

As soon as the four of us had found seats in the library, his two friends went off rummaging the sections of the library. I looked at Cedric curiously.

"What is it?" he asked me, placing his bag on the table.

"Is there something funny that you've been telling your friends?" I asked him. I was being serious.

"No… Why do you ask?"

I looked over at his friends. "They keep on laughing, chuckling, sniggering, whatever, when I pass by."

"Oh," Cedric said, blushing, "they think it's funny that I'm seeing you. They've been bloody annoying…"

"Why do they think it's funny?" I raised an eyebrow. _I don't think it's funny. _

He shrugged as he took out his Transfiguration book. "Well, I never told you but Fleur asked me to the Yule Ball a couple of days before Christmas… You know – her being a champion too – they thought that I would have said yes to her but I didn't. They told me that I should have gone with Fleur – her being part veela and everything."

"Oh…"

"I don't mean to make you upset…just because I didn't tell you that Fleur asked me."

_Just because?_"Oh, I wasn't thinking about that," I lied. "Fleur went with Roger Davies. Marietta told me that they were snogging in some bushes after the Weird Sisters played a few songs."

Cedric smirked. "Typical. I'm sure Davies wasn't even paying attention to what he was doing… He was blabbing at the table…didn't even see anything that he was doing. He was too busy watching Fleur."

"Question, Cedric." I was curious now.

He looked at me. "Yes?"

"Would you have gone with Fleur if you didn't ask me?"

He hesitated. "I don't know. I can't answer a question like that now…"

"What d'you mean?"

"You know since I'm with you and the Yule Ball has already happened…"

I nodded, unsure of Cedric's answer. "Oh, okay. Hm…I'll see you later." I gripped my bag over my shoulder and headed out of the library. I was disappointed. Cedric was handsome – Fleur was pretty. They would have made a good match if they had gone to the Yule Ball and everyone would have been staring at them. I ran my fingers through my hair and sighed.

"Cho?" Emily looked at me. "Are you all right?"

I hesitated but nodded. "Yes, I'm fine."

"What happened?" She had her bag over her shoulder and Marietta wasn't in sight.

"Where's Marietta?" I asked, changing the subject.

"She already headed down to the dungeon."

"Oh."

"Well, what's going on?" Emily urged.

"You think Fleur's pretty, don't you?"

She nodded. "Yes, but she is part veela."

I nodded. "I know."

"Why are you asking me?"

"I was with Cedric in the library and he was with a few of his friends. They kept laughing at me for some reason so I asked Cedric and he told me that Fleur had asked him to the Yule Ball but he said no because he was going with me. His friends think that he should have gone with Fleur. The two most attractive champions going together – that would've been fun," I said sarcastically. "I asked him if he would have gone with Fleur and he said that he didn't know. He couldn't answer the question! D'you think he would have said yes to Fleur?"

Emily stared at me and then shrugged her shoulders. "I reckon not. If he hadn't've asked you before Fleur asked him maybe you were on his mind while Fleur was asking him."

_"What?_"

"Put it this way, Cho, I don't think he would have said yes to Fleur. He really likes you."

I smiled. "Maybe…but still, I have my doubts."

"Cho, Cedric likes you and you shouldn't be thinking about Fleur at a time like this. The Yule Ball is over with – it's nothing to worry with now. Talk to him when we go to Hogsmeade tomorrow maybe you can get a straight answer from him then."

"Maybe you're right," I said, making my way through the dungeon and to my seat. Emily sat behind me.

"I wouldn't worry, Cho, really I wouldn't."

I turned around to face my cauldron and nodded. "Yes, you're quite right."

"Besides Fleur's never really talked to you anyways has she?"

I shook my head. "No."

"What're you guys talking about?" Marietta suddenly appeared behind Emily. Her face was flushed pink.

"Nothing," I said quickly.

Students began taking their seats seconds before the bell had rung and Professor Snape walked into class. He took a seat at his desk, glaring around at every student.

"I want to know what's going on!" Marietta murmured, leaning to the side, trying to talk to me.

Snape had begun to call the attendance when he looked up at Marietta. "Is there a problem, Miss Edgecombe?"

She shook her head violently. "No, Professor."

"In that case, I'll deduct five house points for talking," Snape said and went back to calling attendance.

I glared at Marietta and she looked at me.


	15. Crush

            "I'll be there in a minute, Emily," I said. "I can't find my quill. Go on ahead without me."

"All right," she said, leaving with Marietta, SuYoung, and Min. They had decided to head to Transfiguration class earlier this morning.

"Ah ha!" I exclaimed. "Found it!" I threw the covers back onto my bed and stuffed the quill into my bag along with an inkwell. I rushed out of the common room and down two flights of stairs before I bumped into someone – hard. I fell backwards and heard the smashing of my inkwell in my bag. "Oh no!" I opened my bag, pulled out my book, parchment, and quill, which were covered in ink. "Not again."

"Cho, are you okay?" Michael asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, I was in a rush; I didn't look to see where I was going—"

"It's quite all right." He helped me off of the floor and took my things from me. "Let me help you."

"Oh, erm…thanks," I said as he handed my things back to me, clean. "Well, I guess I'll see you later then…"

"Yeah," he mumbled.

"'Bye." I headed off to Transfiguration class.

"What took you so long?" Emily asked as I sat down.

"I bumped into Michael—" I began.

"Who?" Marietta asked.

"Michael Corner – the fifth year – the one in our House."

"Oh, _that_ one." Marietta smirked.

"What are you smirking about?" I asked.

"Nothing." She glanced over at Emily and giggled.

I looked over at Emily. _"What?"_

"Well…erm…you know after he asked you to the Yule Ball and you said no….he was disappointed."

"So? I couldn't help it that I went with Cedric."

"Yeah but I think he really likes you. I mean he was _really _disappointed."

"Stop trying to make me feel bad, Emily."

"I'm not, Cho, I'm just saying… You have a lot of choices after Cedric."

"What do you mean 'after Cedric'?" I questioned.

"Class will begin," Professor McGonagall's sharp voice rang as she walked to her desk and pulled out her wand.

            *                      *                      *                      *                      *

"I say that you should do something with Michael," Marietta said during lunch in the Great Hall. "I think he's nice and I'm sure he's sweet too."

I shook my head. "No, I can't."

"Cedric wouldn't know," she mumbled.

"He would too. I don't want to. I'm not like that. I won't turn against Cedric."

"No one said you would be turning against him."

"Oh, just hush, Marietta. Why don't _you _do something with him if you want me to so badly?"

"Yuck, no. I don't really like him…"

"He's nice to me."

"That's different," she said, putting a forkful of food into her mouth. "Besides he likes you."

"Whatever."

"Just one thing though, Cho: it really wouldn't kill you or Cedric. Catch him alone in the library or common room and talk to him. Cedric wouldn't know then, would he?"

"You're really urging this aren't you?" I said, peering at her from the corner of my eye.

"Forget it, Cho," Marietta said.

"I can't help it if I really like Cedric."

"She doesn't just like him," Emily said. "She _loves _him."

I blushed. "I do not, Emily! I like him…a lot. Heavens, it's only been two months."

"Oh well. If the two of you carry on like you have been then I'm sure you'll love each other sooner or later," she said with a smirk.

"I'll see you later, okay?" I stood up and swung my bag over my shoulder.

"Good luck Michael-hunting!" Marietta called out.

"Not funny!" I yelled at her as I walked out of the Great Hall. I walked out of the entrance hall and to the Grand Staircase. I didn't want to find Michael at all – I didn't need to listen to Emily or Marietta. _There's no need to do anything with Michael. __Marietta__ and Emily were just being crazy, _I thought as I walked up to the Ravenclaw Tower hoping that Michael was nowhere nearby. I climbed into the common room and sat in an armchair by the fire. I didn't want to get involved with anyone but Cedric who was nicer to me than any other guy I have met before. I soon heard footsteps entering the common room. I turned to see who it was: Michael Corner and two of his friends. I turned quickly around and reached into my bag, pretending to do something.

He and his friends sat down across from me and lair their things on the table. I pulled out the Transfiguration homework and began to work on it. I noticed every once in awhile one of his friends would look up at me. They were talking on a low whisper. I couldn't stand the three of them talking so I walked up to the girls' dormitories. I replaced The Standard Book of Spells: Grade 5 with a few ingredients for Potions class. I walked down the girls' dormitories and out of the common room. I walked down the Grand Staircase and spotted Cedric on the second floor walking into the library with a few friends and a bag swung over his shoulder. I caught up with him.

"I was wondering where you had gone, Cho. Your friends said that you had gone to your common room and I knew that I couldn't go in there," Cedric said. His friends were smirking behind him.

"Yeah, I was just trying to get away from the chatter of the Great Hall," I said, ignoring the laughs of his friends.

"Well, we have a few minutes before class starts. Let's talk in here." Cedric beckoned his friends in who continued to snigger loudly as they passed me.


	16. Fact or Fiction

The next morning, I headed down to breakfast looking forward to enjoying the afternoon at Hogsmeade with Cedric. I found a space between Emily and SuYoung and began eating. I peered over at the Hufflepuff table and saw Cedric communicating with his friends, the same two that were laughing at me in the library. I then glanced over at Fleur and her fellow Beauxbatons friends. The other Beauxbatons students were huddled together at the end of the Ravenclaw table. Fleur and her friends were talking rapidly in French. _I wish I knew what they were saying, _I thought before someone interrupted me.

"Cho, I told you not to worry," Emily said, waving her hand in front of my face.

"Worrying will give you wrinkles," SuYoung said.

"Ah, your mom told you that didn't she?"

SuYoung nodded with a smile. She was also Korean and Korean mothers had _many _things in common. My mother also told me that worrying gives one wrinkles but I was ignoring it at this point.

"Remember, Cho, Hogsmeade, the Three Broomsticks…ask him then," Emily said, putting eggs in her mouth.

I nodded. "I know, I know. I'm not worried about it anymore though. Cedric has a right to keep his mouth shut too, you know."

"So? That doesn't mean he _has _to keep his secrets from you."

"Who said that he had secrets?"

"No one. I'm only suggesting, Cho."

"Well, stop it. I've had enough ideas from you already."

Emily smirked and continued eating. "Oh look, here comes Marietta."

Marietta found a seat next to me with her hand bundled in a fist. 

"What d'you have there?" I asked her.

"I found these in the library. I just thought I'd pick them up – I'm sure nobody noticed," she said, showing them to me. They were badges – the same ones that the Slytherins had begun to wear after the champions were announced. All four of them beamed brightly in red letters **SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY – THE REAL HOGWARTS CHAMPION! **"That's not all!" she said, pressing them against her hand. Another message appeared but was in green lettering but still glowing **POTTER STINKS**. "Here, take one, Cho."

"That's so mean!" I said to her. "I wouldn't wear such a thing!"

"Why not?" Marietta said, showing them to Emily, SuYoung, and Min. _"You _support Cedric don't you?"

I hesitated. "Yes…but it says that Harry stinks and I don't think that despite what everyone has been saying about him."

"Despite what Rita Skeeter has been saying?"

"I wouldn't trust that lady with my life let alone to think that her stories are true," I said.

"Well, just take one. Don't press it – that way it won't say 'Potter Stinks'." Marietta held one out to me.

I looked at Emily, SuYoung, and Min. They all had grabbed one. I took one but stuffed it in my robe pocket. "I'm leaving now." I stood up and rushed out of the Great Hall so no one could follow me. I hurried out of the entrance hall, up the Grand Staircase, and into the Ravenclaw common room. I walked up to my dormitory. I opened my trunk, throwing the badge into it, and taking out my bag of money. I glanced at the badge one more time, grumbled, and shut my trunk. I pulled my cloak over my body and headed out of the dormitory and out of the common room. I stuffed my hands in my robe pocket. _How could __Marietta__ wear one of those? Sure, I do support Cedric but I support Harry too. I don't care if I'm seeing Cedric – no one assumes that I would wear something like that. _"A total disgrace," I mumbled, walking into the entrance hall.

"What's a total disgrace, Cho?" Cedric's voice said.

I looked up. "Oh, hi…erm…nothing."

He started at me. 

I sighed and confessed. "Marietta found these badges in the library – you know the ones that the Slytherins were wearing after the champions were announced? She asked me to wear one after she showed me what they did. I said that I wouldn't wear one."

"Are you talking about the ones that say to support me but then when you press them they say that Harry stinks?"

I nodded as we walked into the crowd of students anticipating to leave for Hogsmeade. "Yes, those are the ones."

"Those Slytherins – I wouldn't even wear one if I was myself. Harry's not that bad. He's the one that told me about the dragons—"

"He told you?"

Cedric nodded. "Surprisingly, yes. I figured he wouldn't have told me. I reckoned he would have kept it to himself. I talked to him after the Yule Ball – I told him what to do with the egg… We're fair now."

Just as Cedric had finished Professor McGonagall had appeared along with Professor Flitwick, Snape, and Professor Sprout. The entrance hall doors swung open. We formed five lines and followed her out of the entrance hall, onto the grounds, and onto the train. 

I tried to avoid Emily as we climbed onto the train, passed a few full compartments before finally finding an empty one. I sat down close to the window and Cedric sat next to me. The train began to move slowly as the compartment door opened. It was Michael with one of his dark-haired friends behind him. He cleared his throat.

"D'you mind if we take a seat here?" he asked.

Cedric looked at me but I was looking at Michael. "Sure," Cedric replied before I could protest.

Michael and his friend walked in and sat down across from us. He glanced at me but quickly looked away when I caught his eyes and stared out the window.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Author's Note: I'm not sure if any of this is fluff or not. Yeah, I'm adding some Michael/Cho stuff early…oh well. Please review!


	17. It Would Be Better

**Author's Note: Sorry for not updating in awhile. I've been busy with school and I haven't had time to. Oh, by the way, I'm not sure if the other school students are allowed to go to Hogsmeade but I'm just making it so. I mean, it is their first time to Hogwarts. You'd figure that they could go… Oh, never mind. I'm making it go with my story so sue me if you hate it.**

I began to wonder what Michael was thinking as the train came to stop. A prefect walked in and told us that we had arrived. Cedric took my hand and together we walked out into the hall to kids talking in merriment. I stuffed a hand in my robe pocket and jingled my coins. Students gathered around Professor McGonagall and waited for her to say that it was all right to go. My mind was drifting and all I heard was blabbing until Cedric said my name.

"Let's go." 

"Oh, okay." I noticed Fleur with a few of her friends and some girls from Hogwarts. "Erm…do you mind if I go ahead into The Three Broomsticks? I'm really not up to anything else."

"Are you sure?" he asked with a look of concern on his face.

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Are you okay, Cho?" 

I nodded again. "Yeah. Why?"

"Well…you just… Oh, never mind. Go ahead. I'll be in there in a few minutes." He let go of my hand and walked the other direction.

"Hmm…" I walked into the pub and saw Emily sitting with her sister. I walked over to their table and sat down.

"Where's Cedric?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Around."

"How come you're not with him?" She took in some butterbeer.

I looked around. "I don't know."

"Are you still worried about what he said?" Emily asked.

I shrugged my shoulder again. "Maybe…" 

Madam Rosmerta (A/N: I hope I got the spelling right. I'm too lazy to look it up --;;) came over with a glass full of butterbeer and set it in front of me. With a pearly white smile on her face she said, "Ah, Cho, where's Cedric? I figured you'd be with him."

I looked up at her. "How'd you know?"

She smirked. "You think just because I'm a waitress I don't know things?" She laughed. "People talk. Drink your butterbeer; it'll make you feel better." She walked off.

I managed a smile. "Thanks." I took a drink and sighed.

"You worry too much," Emily said.

"The two of you make a cute couple," her sister Serena mumbled.

I smiled. "Oh, thanks, Serena."

"My friends were talking about it… Well, they knew that Cedric and you were an item," she continued.

Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. "Oh…well…"

"Keep it up, Cho," Emily said, grinning broadly.

I hit her playfully. "Oh, hush!"

"Hmm…here he comes." Emily pointed.

I turned around and spotted Cedric walking past a group of Gryffindors and then some Hufflepuffs who waved to him and then he found his way to the table and sat down. "You're back," I said. 

"I couldn't stay away for too long now, could I?" he said with a grin.

"C'mon, Serena," Emily said. "Let's go."

"What for?" Serena argued. "We just got here."

Emily glared at her sister. "Just come on."

She groaned. "'Bye, guys."

I giggled. "Goodbye."

"Cho?" 

"Yes?" I answered just as Madam Rosmerta came and placed a butterbeer in front of Cedric.

He waited until he paid before he said, "Do your friends like me?"

I stared at him. "What are you talking about? Of course they like you. Why wouldn't they?"

"Well, they always seem to disappear whenever I come around." He took a sip of butterbeer.

"Oh…well, they just always think that we want to be alone…" I managed to say.

"Always?"

"I guess so…"

"Do they worry about you?"

I shook my head. "No." I shrugged my shoulders, not knowing what to say. "I don't know. They like you, like, I mean…er…" I was beginning to confuse myself.

Cedric chuckled. "Forget it, Cho. It's okay if they think that we want to be alone all the time."

"It is?"

He nodded. "Sure. I don't see anything wrong with that. I didn't ask you to the Yule Ball for nothing, did I?"

I smiled and blushed. "Heh, I guess not."

"Oh, which reminds me…" He dug into his robe pocket and pulled out a box and handed it to me. "I got it this morning…in the mail from my mother…"

I took the box from him. "What is it?"

"Something…" He smiled. "Just open it."

I fiddled with box before actually opening it. A charm – a broomstick to be particular – to add to the bracelet he gave me for Christmas. I smiled. "Oh, gees, thanks, Cedric… I like it."

He smiled back. "I thought you would…since you play Quidditch. Just a nice reminder, eh?"

I nodded. "You're so sweet. Thanks." I kissed him on the cheek.

He blushed red and sipped his butterbeer. 

I smiled to myself. _Cedric wouldn't do anything to hurt me and I wouldn't do anything to him. _I sighed and took a drink of butterbeer, fidgeting with the charm in my hand. I was glad that Cedric was only in his sixth year…maybe we could take our relationship a bit further… I hoped that Cedric really felt the same way about me. I didn't just want to be someone to get the other girls away from him.

**Okay, I'm working really slowly but I hope this satisfies everyone! Please review! NO FLAMERS. I hate them and if you hate this then just deal with it. **


	18. Blossoming

Months passed and that day at Hogsmeade seemed to be nothing but a blur in my mind. I couldn't stop wearing the bracelet that Cedric gave me and I loved playing with the charms that dangled from it. Now it was the middle of April during a short break in term for the Easter holidays. It was a rainy day I was stuck in the common room doing homework. The professors had thrown piles upon piles of work for the fifth years. It was nothing but O.W.Ls, O.W.Ls and more O.W.Ls. I groaned, throwing my quill down onto my stack of books and sheets of parchment.

"I can't take it anymore!" I shouted.

"Cho, c'mon! You know that this year is important for us," Marietta said.

"Yeah…but there's just so much to be done. I can't fit this all in my head for O.W.Ls."

"Sure you can," Min encouraged. "Study, study, study."

I ran my fingers through my hair, gathered my books together and stood up.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going up to the dormitory to put my things away then I'm going to look for Cedric. I bet he's in the library searching for things on the Triwizard Tournament… He's been doing that a lot lately."

Emily giggled. "It's so cute."

"What?"

"The way that you talk about Cedric… Our Cho is falling in love."

My friends giggled uncontrollably.

"Love?" I questioned.

Emily nodded. "Sure, you're with him all the time and you've been with him for quite some time now. How long has it been four months?"

"Almost five months thank you very much," I stated.

"Gees, I can't believe you've been keeping count," Marietta said.

I smiled. "Whatever." I walked up to my dormitory, threw my things onto my bed and walked down to the common room. Marietta, Emily, Su Young, and Min giggled as I walked out. They always had the fit of giggles whenever I talked about Cedric and it always got on my nerves. I shook it off and walked down the Grand Staircase. The pictures seemed to be talking together rather frequently nowadays and the blood in my veins boiled whenever I heard something whisper, "Yes, that's her, right there." "Oh, she's pretty – perfect for Cedric." It was as if they actually knew what went on with Cedric and me. Didn't these pictures have a life? Or at least…one in a picture frame? I shook my head and went down to the courtyard which was full of students. Many of them had books in their hands but others were talking while eating wizard treats.

_Where could Cedric be? _I wondered. _The library…that's where I was going… _I turned around quickly, bumped into someone and fell to the ground. "Ouch…" I mumbled.

"Sorry, Cho," Cedric said, helping me up, his cheeks flushed with red.

I smiled. "Oh, hi, Cedric. I went to look for you…but it seems that you found me."

He chuckled, took my hand, and led me down toward the edge of the lake.

Together we sat down, side by side. It was late evening and the sun seemed to hit perfectly with the lake. The colors of pink, orange and purple hues made everything so romantic. I smiled to myself as Cedric wrapped his arms around my waist and then our hands were intertwined with one another's. It felt like one of those moments when you don't want to let go because everything is so perfect… _Everything is perfect, _I thought. _We're perfect… _My stomach churned at the new feelings that arose.

I lay my head on Cedric's shoulder and he kissed my forehead. I smiled. "Cedric…" I wanted to say it but I couldn't… These feelings were all so new to me but he wasn't… It's been almost five months and how could I have fallen so quickly? Quick, yes, but it wasn't bad. Then I heard the thunder, saw the clouds coming, covering up our perfect moment together. I heard kids rustling to get inside and we were the only ones there. Cedric and I.

He didn't move and neither did I. He squeezed my hands as if taking in the moment.

The rain fell, soaking my hair, soaking my robes but I didn't care… I didn't want to leave. The moment was too perfect.

Cedric leaned toward me, kissed my cheek, smelled my wet hair, and then told me all that I wanted to hear. "I love you."

I wasn't alone. He, too, felt it. It was a good thing that it was raining because I felt my eyes water and tears fall down. _Why am I crying? _I thought to myself. _This is what you wanted… _I smiled. "I love you, too, Cedric…"

We kissed, lip to lip, passionate, amazing. The rain was cold but the kiss gave me warmth. I wrapped my arms around his neck and his hand caressed my cheek. We parted and I was at a lost for words. I ran my fingers through his wet hair, amazed at him. I was lucky… I smiled.

"You're amazing, Cedric…"

He smiled but didn't speak. Instead he kissed me again.

The moment, the time, even the place was perfect. The rain added to everything – emotions that we falling just like rain, soaking into our skin. I was in love and I couldn't stop myself from falling for Cedric…

****

**Okay! Whoo! How was that? Did everyone like it? Yeah, I just had to post because this is just one of those chapters that gets all emotion-ish. First love! Isn't it wonderful? Please review!**


	19. Remember

Together, hand and hand, Cedric and I walked back into Hogwarts. We were both wet and I could heard the _squish squish _noise of our shoes as we walked up the Grand Staircase. He took me to the Ravenclaw Tower and told me to change into dry clothes and then to meet him in the library. I smiled, nodded, and walked passed the Knight, mumbling the password. I found the common room fire burning bright and letting off heat but the room itself was empty except for two second years that were playing wizard chess. I ran up to the dormitories, taking off my robe and throwing into onto my bed. My skirt was soaked through and so was everything else.

"Cho," Emily said as I turned around to find Marietta and SuYoung starting back at me. "Where have you been?"

"I was with Cedric…in the courtyard," I replied, digging out dry clothes from my trunk.

"In the rain?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "What? I just got a little wet."

"A little?"

"Oh, stop being so nosey. I have to go again… I'm meeting Cedric in the library."

"What for?" Marietta asked.

I didn't really know what for but I couldn't say that. "He's helping me with the O.W.L.s. I asked him about it weeks earlier and now that the break is here, he said that he would." I ran into the bathroom and quickly changed out of my wet clothes and into a new outfit. It was plain, simple just a pair of blue jean flares with a blue shirt. I picked up a clean, dry robe and wrapped it around myself. I began to walk out of the dormitory when Marietta stopped me.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" she asked.

I thought about it. "No."

"Your books, Cho."

"Oh, right, my books… Um…I really don't need those…"

"But—"

I rushed out of the dormitory, down the stairs and back out of the common room. I shook my head. I had forgotten how nosey Marietta was. I made my way down the Grand Staircase and to the second floor and into the library. Madam Pince was sorting through books and floating them onto the correct shelves. I looked around for Cedric and found him with books spread around. I smiled, walked over to him and sat down.

"What're you doing?" I asked.

"Oh, just reading about the Triwizard Tournament. Maybe I can find something that can help me figure out what the last task is going to be about."

"Are you worried about it?"

Cedric shook his head. "No…but – I don't mean to sound selfish – I want to win."

I smirked. "Even if you didn't win everyone would still like you."

He looked at me and smiled. "I know but it would be nice to do something for myself." Cedric closed all the books there were, stood up, and put them all back on the shelves. He came back over to the table and took my hand, gesturing me to stand up.

I looked at him. "What? Where're we going?"

He smiled. "Just follow me." Cedric led me to the very back of the library, close to the restricted section. He was quiet for a few moments.

A puzzled look spread across my face. "Are you all right?"

"Cho, I've been meaning to talk to you… I meant to do it earlier but I couldn't. All the words just couldn't come out right." Cedric was getting nervous. He was pacing back and forth and he always does that when he gets nervous.

"They seemed to come out right to me." I smiled.

"You're the only person that has ever made me feel this way and I do love you…"

There was a "but." There always was one.

"And I'm glad that you're here… I think that we have something working for us. I was thinking about asking you if you would like to come over for the summer…with me."

I was shocked. "For the summer?"

"Um…you don't have to…"

"Oh, well, I want to…it would be nice. I would like to do that."

He smiled and then hesitated.

"Oh, heavens, Cedric, just kiss me."

---------------------------------------------------

Cedric and I walked out of the library half an hour later. It was close to supper time and we noticed that kids began to huddle in the library to skip supper and study for exams, O.W.L.s, and N.E.W.T.s.

"We were almost caught," I told Cedric.

He smiled. "But we weren't so don't say anything."

"And to think that I told my friends that you were going to help me study for O.W.L.s."

Cedric laughed. "I was giving you a different sort of lesson."

I laughed. "Oh, hush up."

We made our way into the entrance hall. Kids were already sitting at their tables, waiting for the food. We walked into the Great Hall and separated from each other. I made my way to the Ravenclaw table and found my friends. I squeezed between Marietta and Emily. "Wow, I'm starving." My friends didn't say anything to me. I looked at them. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Marietta repeated. She then laughed. "Yes, um, Cedric is helping you study for O.W.L.s in the library. Some studying you were doing."

I looked at her. "What're you talking about?" I tried to hide my facial expressions.

"Cho, we so saw you in the library," Emily said. She wasn't mad and I knew it. She was trying to go along with Marietta. "You're lucky no one else did."

"Well, I found things to be more important than studying," I replied.

"What's more important?" Marietta asked.

"Just so you'd know, Cedric invited me to stay with him for the summer."

A smile broke Marietta's face. "Oh my gosh, Cho!" She wasn't mad anymore but excited.

I smiled. "Heh, I know."

"Gosh, what did you say?"

"I said that it would be nice to do that."

"Lucky! He's so nice, Cho. Imagine going to his _house. _I bet it's like super clean and smells really great."

I looked at Marietta.

"What? I can imagine can't I?"

I shook my head. "You're crazy."

"I know, that's why we're friends."


	20. Heart

**Disclaimer: I don't own any character of Harry Potter. J.K. is amazing and I don't want to take anything from her. I used some parts from the book to put this chapter together.**

It was the evening before the third and very last task. O.W.L.s were getting to my head and I realized that I needed a break from studying. The past month and a half was dedicated to studying with my friends while Cedric was in the library reading up on the other Triwizard Tournaments. We were practically separated for three weeks because of it. We were doing our own things. That was until today. After supper was over, the plates were cleared and stomachs were full; some students lingered in the Great Hall but some students went back to their common room. I was sitting with Marietta, Emily, SuYoung and Min. Fleur happened to pass by. She stopped and talked to us. Her friends weren't around.

I had never seen Fleur up close but she was pretty. She hung around with other Ravenclaws but she had never talked to me before. Her skin was a soft honey color and her hair a soft and gorgeous silvery blonde. Her eyes were cerulean blue and her teeth were white and even. I had seen her once before talking with Emily and they seemed to get along. She sat across from me. I wondered what she was waiting for.

"Fleur," I heard Emily say, "um… I don't think you've met my friends before."

Her head turned and her long hair hit Marietta in the face. Marietta glared at me as Fleur spoke, "What? Oh…your friends. Right." (Author's Note: I'm no good at writing a French accent…work with me here.)

Emily introduced us one by one.

"Cho," Fleur said. She said my name funny but reasonable enough.

"Yeah, she's with Cedric."

I looked at Emily. _You didn't need to tell her that! _

"O'." Fleur smiled. " 'Ee's really nice."

I nodded. "Yeah…" I stood up and wandered off away from my friends. I found Cedric walking down the stairs in the entrance hall. I ran over to him. "Hey."

He looked up and smiled. His face was pale. He looked worried.

"You're worried, Cedric, aren't you?"

"Worried? Why would I be?" he asked, slipping his hand into mine.

I giggled. "I know why. You've been in the library too much. You've been reading too much about the Triwizard Tournament. You'll be okay. Nothing will happen."

"I know, Cho, but it's just one of those feelings that I can't shake off."

A puzzled look spread across my face. I didn't like it when Cedric got one of those "feelings." I decided to change the subject. "Are your parents going to be there to watch you?"

His facial expression changed and I saw a smile. He nodded. "Yes… It sorta makes me nervous."

"You've always been nervous before the tasks but you'll do fine. You always do."

------------------------------

"C'mon, Cho, hurry!" Marietta urged, rushing me.

"I'm trying!" I said. I ran a brush through my long hair. I rushed out of the bathroom and ran down the stairs and into the common room. There were many students still trying to find their friends so they could hurry to the third task.

Emily grabbed my wrist and together, my friends and I made our way out of the common room and down the Grand Staircase and into the entrance hall. Students were gathered around, waiting. We pushed our way into the Great Hall. I saw Cedric with his parents. I smiled. I looked back at my friends.

"Go ahead," Marietta said with a smirk. "We'll be waiting."

"But do hurry!" Emily said.

I smiled and walked over to Cedric and his parents. "Hi, Cedric."

"Cho, oh, erm…hi," he said. His cheeks flushed pink, blushing.

I saw both of his parents smile. "Hi," I said to them, smiling. "I'm Cho Chang. It's nice to meet you."

"Ah, so _you're _Cho," his mother said. "He always talks about you in his letters."

_"Mother," _Cedric said.

I smiled. "Well, I just came here to wish him luck." I looked at him. "Good luck, Cedric. I'll be waiting for you after the task is over." I kissed him and left. I walked out of the Great Hall. There were crowds of students dressed in house colors, students were chattering away just waiting for the task to begin. I looked toward to field and saw Emily but I didn't see my other friends. I walked over to her. "Hey, where's everyone else?"

"They're off somewhere else. I just wanted to examine the maze a bit. It's fascinating," Emily replied with a smile.

I smiled and looked toward the maze. "How come no one is down at the field?"

"We have to wait. They're going to announce it."

"Oh…"

"I wonder what they're going to have to go," Emily said.

"I think they have to get a cup…" I said. "I remember Cedric saying something about it awhile ago."

"You want Cedric to win?"

I began to fidget with the charm bracelet around my wrist. "Yeah…but I wouldn't mind if someone else one."

"Harry may win. He and Cedric are both tied still."

I nodded. "I know… C'mon, I think we have to go back inside." I was right; people began making their way inside and into the Great Hall. Students separated to their own house tables and sat down.

Dumbledore stood to his feet and silence fell. "Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes' time, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch field for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr. Bagman down to the stadium now."

Harry, Fleur, Viktor, and Cedric all stood up to the sound of applause. The cheering from the Gryffindor table was definitely the loudest.

Five minutes later, everyone exited the Great Hall and walked down to the Quidditch field and took their seats.

Hagrid, Professor Moody, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Flitwick approached the champions were who all wearing large, red, luminous stars on their hats except Hagrid who had his on the back of his vest. They spoke to the champions and then left in different directions toward the maze. Then, we could hear Bagman's voice speak loudly,

"Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin. Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each – Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of the Hogwarts School!" There was cheering and applause. "In second place, with eighty points – Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!" More applause. "And in third place – Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!" Yet again, more applause.

I edged to the front of my seat, watching Cedric.

"So…on my whistle, Harry and Cedric!" said Bagman. "Three – two – one—" He gave a short blast on his whistle and Harry and Cedric hurried forward to the maze.

Krum stepped forward and the whistle blew as he hurried off to the maze.

Last was Fleur. She stepped forward, waiting for the whistle to blow, and ran off into the maze.

"I hope Harry wins," I heard someone from behind me say. I turned around. It was a Gryffindor.

I smiled. "I hope Cedric wins…" I mumbled to myself.


	21. I Love You

After much talking with my friends and half an hour of sitting, the sun was beginning to set and the hues turned purple, pink, and orange. I looked around the maze and wondered what was going on inside. I wished that I could through the maze to find out what Cedric was doing. It was then when Harry came tumbling out of the face, slamming hard to the ground. He was holding someone…but I couldn't quite make out who it was. I stood up and saw that it was Cedric.

"Oh my gosh!" the words tumbled from my mouth.

Professor Dumbledore, the Minister of Magic along with the other judges crowded around Harry, making it impossible to see him or Cedric. Fudge mumbled something to Dumbledore and the words were repeated and others began shouting it out.

"He's dead!"

"He's _dead_!"

"Cedric Diggory! _Dead!_"

The words took awhile to go through and process in my brain. I saw Dumbledore lean down and pick Harry up. The crowd of people from the stands began jumping down out of their seats and crowded around Harry. Marietta, Emily, SuYoung, Min, and I jumped from our seats and ran over close to Harry.

"Diggory's dead!"

"Cho…it can't be true," Emily assured.

"He'll need to go to the hospital wing!" Fudge said. "He's ill, he's injured." His voice grew quiet and he spoke to Dumbledore.

Tears formed in my eyes as I watched Harry, Dumbledore and the Minister of Magic. I then noticed Cedric's father running to the field to see what was going on. Mr. Diggory reached Dumbledore and Fudge and they turned around to talk to him not noticing that Professor Moody had lifted Harry up and carried him off of the field and back into Hogwarts. Some other girls began to sob as they saw Cedric's body lifted up by Mr. Diggory and Dumbledore suddenly walked away from the scene and followed Professor Moody but careful not to be seen.

I tried to make my way through the crowd, to follow Mr. Diggory. I wanted to know what was wrong with Cedric but the crowd pushed me back. Professor McGonagall was heard yelling orders for everyone to go back to the castle. Marietta tugged at me to follow her.

"Cho, let's go…"

I whined. "Marietta! Cedric—"

"He'll be okay. You heard Fudge; he's probably injured or something and not able to walk."

Tears fell as I followed everyone back into the castle. My friends and I walked up to the Ravenclaw Tower and into the common room. I hurried off to my dormitory and sat myself onto my bed, crying and I couldn't stop. I yearned for Cedric – I wanted to know what was going on. I crawled off of the bed and opened my trunk. I pulled out the charm bracelet Cedric had given me and kissed it. I clutched it in my hands and lay back down on my bed. I was in the dormitory for nearly an hour. I stood up and walked over to my window and sat on the sill, clutching the bracelet for dear life. The moon was beginning to rise and the stars twinkled brightly. I looked over to the field, the maze was still there. People were still on the field but the students were all in their common rooms.

Marietta came into the dormitory and sat beside me. I didn't even hear her come in."Erm, Cho?"

I wiped away the tears and sniffed. I looked at her.

"Professor Flitwick wants to see you for a moment…" her voice faded.

I stood up, walked out of the dormitory and to the common room where Professor Flitwick was waiting. He told me to follow him into Dumbledore's office. I put the bracelet in my robe pocket and wrapped my robe tighter around me, crying with my arms crossed. Flitwick said the password to Dumbledore's office and we walked in. I saw Cedric's parents – his mother was crying and his father's lip was trembling, I knew he was trying hard to be strong but he could break easily. Dumbledore was sitting at his desk and he motioned me to sit down in an armchair in front of his desk and I did.

He took a deep breath but I knew what he was going to say. "I can't tell you in any other way possible, Cho and as you know it seems tough already but…" Dumbledore hesitated. "Cedric is dead."

I broke instantly and I heard Cedric's mother sob. I cried, tears rolling down my face uncontrollably.

"The two of you were very close and it's the best to tell you."

I buried my face in my hands and cried. It was more than I could handle. A few hours ago I was talking with Cedric…I kissed him… How was I to know that it was our last kiss? That I should have savored every moment of it? It was hard and I didn't know what to do.

"He is in the hospital wing if you wish to see him. I've told Madam Pomfrey to let you see him…" Dumbledore continued. "That is only if you want to."

I nodded and stood up from the chair. I glanced over at Cedric's parents. I wish I had something to say to them but I didn't know what. Half of me wanted to see Cedric but the other half told me otherwise and my feet took me to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey was behind a curtain helping someone in bed. It must have been Cedric. I shut the door behind me so no one else could come in. Madam Pomfrey appeared from behind the curtain. It looked as if she was ready to cry but she held herself together and let me behind the curtain.

He was pale and his eyes were closed and mouth half-opened. I reached for his hand but pulled back because it was so cold. Tears were falling from my eyes damping my robe as I let my hand into Cedric's cold one. I held his hand up to my face and caressed the back of it with my cheek. I bent over and kissed his forehead. I wanted to scream, I wanted him to wake up, to hold me, to kiss me and tell me that it would be okay but I didn't, I couldn't do anything to wake him up. I stared at him searching all over. _What was he thinking before he died? Was he thinking of me – of his family? _I let go of his hand and ran out of the hospital wing. I ran to the Ravenclaw Tower, into the common room and up to the empty dormitory, slamming the door behind me. I threw myself onto my bed and cried into my pillow. _Why? _I thought to myself. _Why take him away from me and from his family? _I heard a knock on the door but didn't answer. A few seconds later another knock came and the door opened. I didn't look to see who it was but buried my face into my pillow.

Someone sat down on my bed and I knew that it was Marietta with Emily, Min and SuYoung. Someone ran their fingers through my hair and another placed their hand on my back. I pulled myself together and sat down on my bed, pulling my knees to my chest. I looked up at them to see that they too were crying. I leaned my head on Marietta's shoulder and let myself go, my tears pouring worse than before. She wrapped her arms around me like a true friend should but didn't say anything – they understood my pain and seemed to be the only ones that understood how much I loved Cedric. Nothing could have broken our silence and I didn't want anything to. They left half an hour later and no words were spoken. They knew I wanted to be left alone. We didn't have to tell each other that…

I wanted to see Cedric again one last time before his parents left with him. I went into the dormitory bathroom, ran some cold water and splashed it on my face. I pulled myself together but couldn't stop the tears. I walked out of the dormitory and to the common room. Some of the kids there saw me and came to me trying to comfort me. They told me that it would be okay and they said that they were sorry but they didn't know me and they didn't know Cedric. I pushed them away running out of the common room. I could have broken down while walking down the stairs but I made it to the hospital wing. Mr. and Mrs. Diggory were there talking to Madam Pomfrey.

Mrs. Diggory must have heard me coming and walked over to me. She was still crying her eyes were red and puffy. She was pretty. She had brown hair with some strands of grey with hazel eyes. She was an inch or two taller than me and skinny. Mrs. Diggory must have known that I was in great dire of someone to cry along side with so she wrapped her arms around me and ran her long fingers through my hair. We parted and she tried to smile behind the tears. "Cho," she mumbled my name, "he was right…"

I looked at her.

"You are beautiful. He loved you very much. I'm sure he wants you to know that right now," she said between sobs.

I showed a smile through my tears.

"He talked about you all the time…"

"Mrs. Diggory…" I didn't know what to say. I had nothing to say. It was tougher for her than it was for me but she still comforted me. I looked over at Mr. Diggory, he was sitting on a chair and Madam Pomfrey had disappeared. He stood up and walked over to his wife. He smiled at me. He was trying so hard to be strong but I saw tears falling down his cheeks. "I want to see him…before you leave…" I mumbled.

Cedric's father led me behind the curtain where Cedric was laying. I wanted to stop crying but tears fell down faster than ever before. This was my last time to see him… His parents would gather his things, they would take his body home with them and I would be left alone. Madam Pomfrey must have done something to give his face some color but when I reached for his hand it was still cold. Mrs. Diggory was on the opposite side of me with her husband. She was holding her son's hand and holding some tissue in the other. Mr. Diggory had his hands on her shoulders. I didn't want to let go of his hand. I leaned over and kissed Cedric for one last time.

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Author's Note: Sad chapter, I know!!! :( I'm sorry but you know how Cho is…she was so sad and I can only imagine what she was going through! There's one more chapter to come so please come back! Don't forget to review! :)


	22. Goodbye

A week after Cedric had passed away I found myself sitting in my room, by my window, staring out into the sky. The past few days I had cried myself to sleep. I awoke from nightmares of Cedric and sometimes I awoke from dreams of him, wishing that he was with me.

My mother came and knocked on the door. "Cho?"

I didn't answer. I didn't answer to anyone that much anymore. I began to fiddle with the charm bracelet around my wrist. I always wore it. The only time I took it off was when I was in the shower. There were unopened letters sitting on my desk and drying flowers with unopened cards of sympathy from friends.

"Honey?" my mother tried again. "There are people here to see you."

"I don't want to talk right now."

Mother walked over to me. "Cho, just come downstairs." She walked out of the room and shut the door.

What was the point of going on anymore? I stared out my window and wondered who it could be. I shrugged and found myself walking down the stairs and into the living room. It was Mr. and Mrs. Diggory sitting on the couch with my mother, drinking tea. The two of them were dressed in black, mourning for Cedric. I looked down at myself. A black shirt and a black skirt. Sometimes I didn't even noticed what I'd put on. I reached for the back of my closet, my clothes that were dark, and put them on. I put a shirt on backwards once.

Mrs. Diggory looked up and a small smile broke in her face. I walked over and sat beside her. I tried hard to fight back tears but I felt one slide down my face, watching Mrs. Diggory with a tissue in her hand. I hugged both Mr. and Mrs. Diggory, a whisper of hello slipped from my lips.

There was silence for a few seconds and then Mr. Diggory spoke. "We came here because we want you to come to Cedric's funeral."

I looked at him but didn't answer and he continued.

"It's tomorrow at one in the afternoon. You don't have to come but I'm sure Cedric would want you to."

I nodded and looked at my mother. She was watching me. "Yes…" I mumbled. "I'll come…thanks…"

Mr. Diggory nodded as Mrs. Diggory rummaged through the pocket of her coat. She handed me a long but small box. "Here."

I stared at it and then took it. My hands shook as I opened it. I lifted the lid and dropped the box. I jumped. I waited a few seconds before picking it up. It was a necklace.

"He was going to give it to you when you came over for the summer," Mrs. Diggory said.

For the first time in a long time, I smiled. "Thanks for giving it to me."

Mrs. Diggory's face broke into a small smile and she hugged me. Mr. Diggory stood up and I knew that they were about to leave. Mrs. Diggory, my mother, and I stood up. The Diggorys walked away from the couch and to the door. With a loud _CRACK! _they disappeared. I clutched the box in my hand as my mother hugged me.

"You have something to wear for tomorrow?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yes." I walked back up into my room and shut the door.

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I had never been to a funeral before not even Muggle one. Luckily, this was a wizarding funeral so there was no hiding anything. There must have been at least a hundred people. Many of them were from the Ministry and were friends of Mr. Diggory. Some of Cedric's friends were there. We walked into the small chapel which barely held us all. A casket made of mahogany was in the front by the podium where the preacher stood. The casket was closed. Mother stopped by the local flower store and bought roses to lay on Cedric's grave. I wore the necklace that Mrs. Diggory had given me and the charm bracelet that Cedric had given me. I was dressed in a simple black dress. I let my hair down because that was the way Cedric liked it.

My mother and I found seats in the third row – two rows behind Mr. and Mrs. Diggory. There were boxes of tissue at the end of each row and I saw that there were flowers everywhere around the casket. Marietta and her mother soon found seats next to us. Her mother went and sat next to mine while Marietta sat next to me. She handed me another tissue and squeezed my hand. Then heads were bent in prayer as the preacher prayed and music played softly. Sobs were heard and I tried really hard not to cry but I couldn't help it. I grabbed tissue and blew my nose. Friends stood up to speak, telling how Cedric was such a good person and that he never thought of himself first but only the people he cared about. A choir sang and more prayers were said.

Mr. and Mrs. Diggory stood up and walked over to the left hand side of the casket. Then half of the casket was then opened to reveal Cedric lying on cushions, a small pillow tucked beneath his head. Row by row, friends walked up and hugged the Diggorys, some putting things in Cedric's grave while others just looked at him. My mother walked up there and hugged the two as did I but I lingered at Cedric's casket, crying. Cedric's face was pale but yet there was still color to it. His hands were lying across his stomach. Though my hands were shaking, I took a rose from the dozen flowers in my arms and lifted one of Cedric's cold hands up and placed it in between his hands. I then took off my bracelet and pulled off the very first charm that Cedric had given to me – a heart. I kissed it and then I placed it in the pocket of Cedric's coat.

When the last person had given their condolences to the Diggorys, many things were in the casket. Pictures, flowers, stuffed toys from younger kids. My rose was still there as the casket was closed and carried off into the limousine that was driving to the cemetery. I hugged and kissed both Mr. and Mrs. Diggory. I walked outside with my mother and saw the limousines lined up. There were a few cars that some wizards had driven but the others would be riding in the limousines. My mother and I crawled in our small red car, waiting for the other cars to drive.

---------------------------------

The casket was placed in the middle of the small tent like roof. There were two chairs which sat Mr. and Mrs. Diggory while everyone else cluttered around. The preacher said another prayer, a long one, as Mrs. Diggory's sobs grew louder. We watched as the casket was placed into the ground and then covered in with the earth. Friends came up and hugged the Diggorys once more, telling them they were sorry for their loss, and then they made their way back into their cars. Many of the Apparated back to their homes. Marietta came over to me and hugged me. Tears were falling but she tried to stay strong for me.

"Things'll be okay, Cho," she told me.

I didn't say anything. My tears spoke for me.

"He'd want you to be strong. He'd want everyone to."

I nodded but couldn't stop the tears.

She hugged me once more and left with her mother.

When all the earth had covered the site of the casket, I was able to read the headstone which marked Cedric's grave.

_Cedric A. Diggory_

_Loving son, courageous heart_

_July 17, 1977__ – __June 24, 1994___

I ran my fingers over the inscription and fell to my knees, crying harder than ever. Tears fell on my hands, splashing on my lap, dampening the tissues that I had. I placed the roses on his grave and wept. Cedric was no more and this was all I had left of him. A bracelet and a necklace, no picture at all. I swear that I heard my heart shatter, breaking like glass into a hundred pieces. I ran my fingers through my hair and tried to stand but my legs failed me. Mr. and Mrs. Diggory along with my mother watched me the whole time.

"How could you leave?" the words slipped silently from my lips. "I didn't even get to say goodbye… You left me…you left your parents. You had your whole life ahead of you." I looked up at the sky and saw clouds of grey slowly moving. I looked back down at Cedric's grave. "We were supposed to meet after the task… I was going to congratulate you for doing a wonderful job…whether or not you won or lost… Would our relationship have gone further? I loved you. … And you loved me… Why does everything have to turn out so wrong?"

Fifteen minutes later after everyone was gone. Rain began to fall and I knew that the Heavens were crying; I mustered my strength and stood up. I walked over to Mrs. Diggory, hugged her, and then to Mr. Diggory and hugged him. They were going through a harder time than I was but yet I had never felt so much pain in my entire life. My mother followed me, waved goodbye to the Diggorys, and together we walked back to the car and crawled in. I cried the whole way home, thinking of Cedric.

I loved him. I would never forget him, I'll always remember the first one that captured my heart, the first one to love me like no other. _I don't think I'll be able to find another but I'll keep trying for your sake, Cedric._ You're the one that touched my heart.

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Author's Note: Yes, that's it. Sad chapter (of course – what do you expect?) and it's long too so I'm proud of myself. Thanks to all my reviewers for praising my story. You're an inspiration. Don't forget to check out my other HP stories too. :) By the way, the year I used for Cedric's tombstone can be found at www.hp-lexicon.org. Oh, and I may include an epilogue and two song fics at the end just to tie the story to it's ending. Heck, I may even have a sequel so like I dunno, e-mail me or tell me in a review if you want a sequel.


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